


Above The Water

by twitch



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drowning, Drunk Driving, Drunk Driving by Minor Character, First Dates, Frequent Uses of Showers, Just Shame, Kylo is the Best Man, M/M, Mutual Pining, Near Drowning, Non-Descriptive Sexual Elements, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Sorry Kylo, Stormpilot Wedding, The Drowning Will be Referenced But Not Seen, Wedding Planning, Weddings, Wet Dream, background stormpilot, cottage, no injuries, swimming lessons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-25
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2019-11-05 17:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17923475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twitch/pseuds/twitch
Summary: When Han and Leia bought the cottage they planned on having their family and friends up to enjoy the summer. Kylo knew that he'd be smart to take swimming lessons. Insecurities held him back. When his computer broke everything got further delayed. Projects at work. The overtime to work on the projects. Being the Best Man for Finn and Poe's wedding meant he got roped into the wedding planning process.Then the accident happened.Kylo has six weeks to learn how to swim.





	1. Week 0

**Author's Note:**

> What started out as an idea, in which I wanted to see Hux teach Kylo how to swim, quickly evolved into something bigger. How many chapters that will be is up to debate, but there will be at least seven chapters.

“You are going to go inside. If you try to leave, I will see you.”

Rey had turned off the ignition, parked directly in front of the main doors. It was late enough at night that the building should have been closed for business but tonight they made an exception. 

Kylo still hadn’t taken off his seatbelt.

Rey watched him, gaze only a bit sympathetic. There was no way to ignore the pressing look she was staring him down with. “She gave you the money five months ago. You’ve put yourself into this position because you chose to spend the money on a new laptop.”

“My laptop broke seven months ago.” He had been quiet for the ride over. That he was trying to defend himself with such a feeble statement made him cringe. “And I had the money for the new laptop but there was data on the old laptop that I needed the technician to retrieve for me, which is what that extra money covered. It included mom’s files so I had to save it!”

“And you didn’t tell her that, or save money to do this?”

Kylo frowned, glaring at the doors that loomed past the front window. “Several projects were approved at work, and I agreed to do them. As you know, I needed the money to pay my mom back. But then there came overtime for the projects. Then Poe made me his best man. Which resulted in way too many wedding planning tasks I got roped into, including his stag-cubed party.” He and Rey smiled at the same time, knowing those had been Poe’s exact words. Yet amusement didn’t last long. He sighed, tipped his head, temple pressed to the passenger window. “I… forgot.”

“You could’ve not come down,” Rey commented.

The thought had crossed Kylo’s mind, at the time a few weeks ago. He’d been watching the party traverse from the back lawn, ambling further away from the cottage. “And say no to her? That would never work.”

“And now you’re here.” Rey had put her tote bag behind her seat, phone away to not pose as any distraction. Everyone knew not to phone her tonight. The only thing she needed for this time at night was the coffee that she made Kylo buy her for the drive over. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

With another sigh Kylo unlocked the door, heaving himself out and grabbing the bag at his feet. For a summer night it was expectedly warm, the breeze stirring his hair. It could’ve been romantic, had he been with anyone but his cousin. 

What it was was ominous. Twisting away from the car, staring down the doors again, he walked stiffly into the building.

The smell of chlorine hit him right away. He made a face, tried to wave the stench away, before making his way to the men’s change room, exactly where he was told it would be.

“Ben Organa?”

Of course she would. 

The urge to mutter under his breath was there, but rather than having a witness to see him talking to himself he sighed again. Knowing that he would be in the pool tonight he should’ve been saving all his oxygen for his inevitable drowning. Not that he needed a second near experience in less than a month. 

He turned towards the man who assumed to know him. “It’s Kylo Ren.” 

Blue eyes regarded him bemusedly, looking over his features. “Are you not Leia Organa’s son?”

“You met her in person?” If his mom wasn’t already stressed out with the upcoming wedding he would have fighting words ready for her the next time they saw each other. He was stressed out enough, with swimming lessons and wedding and work projects, that he was ready to yell at the man in front of him, who was poised to retort something. The twist of his lips insinuated held back sarcasm. Refraining from snapping Kylo tightened his jaw. “Of course she would. My name is Kylo Ren, it’s on all of my documents. I can’t help that she still chooses to call me the name she gave me at birth.”

“Noted.” The man waved him away from the change room door. “This way Mister Ren. We won’t be using the pool tonight. I just want to get a sense of how our lessons should progress, what you hope to gain from taking the lessons.”

“I hope to get my mom off my damn back,” Kylo muttered, which got a sharp laugh out of the man. 

“I admit, I don’t usually get requests to set up private swimming lessons from anyone but the novice swimmer in need.” The front desk was unoccupied but the overhead lights were still on; computer off and phoneline inactive. “I’m making myself a tea, do you want one?” Kylo was about to scoff, wringing his fingers into his sweatpants when he took a seat. “It’s herbal.”

Kylo was thrown off and couldn’t help himself. “What kind?”

“Chamomile.” 

“Uh, sure.” It was like Leia’s presence was still there, watching him, then giving him a mental kick. “Please.”

A kettle started up before the man took the other seat at the front desk, twisted it to face him. “So, my name is Armitage Hux, but you can call me Hux.”

“You already know my name. Names.” He switched his grip to the armrest, not that it helped to make him less tense. “I do go by Kylo.”

“I’ll remember that.” Hux straightened up, giving him a quick smile. “What have you been told about your swimming lessons?”

“That I have to take them. That my cousin will be driving me to and from the pool to make sure I’m taking them.” At the expense of his humiliation. If Poe and Finn hadn’t been busying planning their wedding they would’ve been involved too. “Six weeks in hell.”

“The good news is that you can schedule which days you are in hell.” Hux pulled out a day-planner. Kylo nearly laughed when he saw the hardcovered book presented to him, the pages opened to the month of August. “I am free from Monday to Friday during the evenings. Saturday mornings too. We’ll be doing two classes a week for those six weeks. If you need to check your own availability we can set up the days that work best for you on the next class, before we use the pool.”

“Tuesdays.” Hux was already writing his name down, red ink, not bothering to capitalize the k. “Definitely not Mondays and as for the second day… I would like to say Thursdays, but I know there are a couple of Thursday nights I wouldn’t be able to make it in for.” 

“Next Tuesday you can tell me when would work for those weeks.” Hux made quick work of filling in his Tuesdays for August, flipping quickly to September. Working back Kylo showed which Thursdays he wasn’t available. “Now tell me, how comfortable are you with water? Have you ever waded in a pool or at a beach?”

Kylo felt his cheeks flush but was given a reprieve from Hux’s attention when the kettle whistled. Hux stood up, giving Kylo several seconds to close his eyes, silently willing the heat from his cheeks to die, hopefully before Hux got back. “Never at a pool. I had only been to public pools, with friends. It would always be busy so I didn’t trust the other people around. I only stayed on the deck. I have been to lakes but even then, I only walked into the lake up to my ankles. Always avoided docks, wharfs, piers, boats – I didn’t want to take the risk.” 

Unless his mom called him down, not knowing that he didn’t sign up for swimming lessons when she expected him to. 

Hux returned, handing him one steaming mug, tea bag in and steeping. Even the smell of the herbs was relaxing. Kylo brought it up to his nose, taking the scent in deeper. 

“In that case, the first lesson will be getting you used to being in the pool. Our lessons will be in the shallow end so you will be in waist-high water to begin with. If you are comfortable with that we could move a bit deeper, but only if you feel ready for that.” While Kylo waited for his tea to cool Hux didn’t, taking a slow but long sip before continuing. “And that is what I intend. I know you didn’t sign up for these classes but I will base these lessons at your pace. How comfortable you are with being in the water and how well you’re progressing. If there is anything that you don’t feel ready for do not hesitate to tell me. Your mom isn’t doing these classes, you are.”

Kylo nodded, his shoulders relaxing. He took a sip of his tea, swallowing tightly. “Do you think I’ll be ready in six weeks?”

“I can’t guarantee that,” Hux stated, to which Kylo bit his lip. “I think your friend’s idea is damn stupid. Knowing that you can’t swim and yet he’s already decided to have the whole wedding party jump into the lake after the ceremony.”

“I was supposed to do swimming lessons five months ago,” Kylo murmured, looking up from his mug. Holding it between his hands he schooled himself to not look away from Hux’s gaze. “And I nearly did. But when I looked online at the community parks and rec website, the classes they had for beginning adult swimmers were group classes. I could just see myself. Head and shoulders above everyone else. I look like I’m an athlete. I run, I go to the gym at least once a week. But I hate team sports, I hate crowds. I could just picture everyone laughing at me, because I look like I should be able to swim. And I’m old enough to have learned… twenty years ago, at the very least.”

“Pools and beaches are places where people feel self-conscious and not just for the fact that a lot of people hate putting on bathing suits,” Hux pointed out, gaze understanding. “Water, and swimming, can be very scary. Have you ever seen an ocean on a stormy night? Those kinds of waves can knock even a strong swimmer out.”

“Are you trying to make me feel better?” Laughing and clenching the mug tighter, Kylo shook his head. “It’s not working.”

Hux’s free hand squeezed his knee. “The good news is that I’m not sending you out to the ocean. A lot of fear stems from not knowing where the water ends and not being able to see to the bottom. You will be able to see the bottom of the pool. You will have your feet on the bottom of the pool. And even if your friends choose to be idiots and run across the dock you can walk into the lake, get up into the lake as high as your waist. You choose your pace and they can choose theirs.”

“Walking sounds good.” Taking a sip of his tea, relieved to find it cooler, he took another drink. Closed his eyes, opened them quickly when churning dark waves flashed through his mind. “Thinking about anything more than walking… it might not be workable at all.”

“We can spend the first two days walking in the pool,” Hux offered, agreeing to the idea. “Whatever you feel ready for, or what you don’t feel ready for. And the last classes on weekdays finish before nine, so we’ll have the pool all to ourselves. I’ll be locking up after we leave.”

That he didn’t expect. “We’ll be alone?” 

“Normally I’ve done classes with just myself and the student in the building. Front doors locked once you come in, locked again when we leave. As I’ve said, some people feel self-conscious, for the same reason you mentioned. They’re embarrassed that they need to take lessons when they’re forty or fifty years old.” Kylo was sure that Hux only mentioned the ages for his sake, and nearly smiled, knowing that he wasn’t the oldest student Hux ever had. “If you prefer to have someone here, a lifeguard, or even knowing that someone is working in the office, we can do that too. Perhaps you want your cousin inside.”

“Shit, no – not my cousin.” He didn’t need to feed Rey more ways to get under his skin. Even though she had seemed kind enough in the car he wouldn’t risk it. Years from now she could easily be recounting that his flailing arms barely kept him afloat. “I would prefer to do my lessons with only the two of us.”

“I suppose my last question is the one I started off with.” Lowering his cup, Hux eased back into his seat. “What do you hope to gain by taking swimming lessons? And I’m not talking about what Leia Organa wants, I’m asking what Kylo wants.”

Ducking his head, Kylo lowered his mug. “I never had an interest in swimming. I’m not a fan of crowds and even if I was alone I probably wouldn’t go swimming either. But last year, my mom bought a cottage. She has always enjoyed her job but was looking forward to having more relaxing summers, cut-back her work hours, for herself and the family. She and my dad found a cottage that they liked and bought it in the winter. I knew, as a precaution, that I would be smart to learn how to swim. I just – I figured I was too late. A bit scared. A lot ashamed. There are other things I can do at a cottage other than swim.”

“What would you do?” Sensing that his question, intended to be amiable, but could be construed as prodding, Hux rephrased. “What do you like doing?”

“There are some really nice trails around, for running or biking. I like reading but I don’t usually have enough time for it. And I really do like the idea of bonfires at night. Barbeques. Just getting out of the city, away from the noise and the people.” Half laughing and groaning Kylo rolled his eyes up. “I’m not as anti-social as I make myself out to be.”

“I have relatives who live in England. And I don’t mean London, or any of the big cities. They live in a little town right on the Irish sea,” Hux mentioned. Kylo imagined he heard a bit of an accent in Hux’s voice. “I don’t get to visit them often, but I like the idea of the chance to escape the city life.”

“You really do like water.” Half smiling, trailing his fingers along the handle of the mug, he lowered his eyes to meet Hux’s. “How long have you been teaching swimming for?”

“Ten years.” Hux’s lips twitched a bit, curtailing his attempt to take a sip of tea. “I did teach group classes for the first few years, but then I put in an inquiry with the board for the parks and recreation. I wanted to find out if there would be any public interest in private lessons. Seven years later, still teaching private.”

“Will I be the only student you’ll be teaching? Or do you already have any classes running?” 

“Sometimes I do, but for August you’ll be my only student. I think most people try to do swimming classes before summer, so they’re ready to venture out on their own.” Taking a deep breath Hux folded his fingers over the rim of his mug, letting it rest on his thigh. “Do you want to learn how to swim? If it’s something you’re doing for your mom’s sake, if your heart isn’t it, I can understand why you might not improve to your mom’s expectations.”

Kylo bit the inside of his cheek, eyeing Hux suspiciously. Those cool eyes regarded him back, as though expecting him to catch the wrongness of the statement. “My mom… Is she expecting a report card after this?”

“She has… arranged to make phone calls with me, weekly, to find out if you’re coming to your lessons. How you’re handling your lessons. I’m afraid to say it’s not just your cousin who will be keeping an eye on you. And this is only why I’m asking. If you don’t want to do this, you can tell me. I am not going to take your mom’s money if you plan on ditching me and your cousin at any point,” Hux explained, shaking his head minutely. 

“I want to say fuck them all but… I did nearly drown.” Setting his cup on the desk, his stomach heavy not just for the tea, Kylo clenched his hands together. “This is for my own safety. Even if I don’t join the wedding party for their…. wedded bliss splash, what’s to guarantee that further down the road I won’t have another accident? At the cottage or anywhere else. It’s for my safety, not my mom’s sake.” 

“Are you sure about this?” 

Five minutes later, stepping out of the building housing the pool, Hux locking the doors behind him, he came back to Rey’s car. 

She leaned over to unlock the door, blinking at him. “You’re not even wet.”

“But I will be,” he reassured her.


	2. Week 1

“Rey told me you didn’t swim when you went to your first class.”

It was a good thing that he was talking to his mom on the phone. He held his cell phone to his ear, pacing through his apartment as he tried to find his keys, reassured that his mom couldn’t see his growing agitation. He could tell by the creak of a door and the chirping of some kind of bird that his mom had just stepped outside. Probably on the porch of the cottage, looking down to the lake. It sounded peaceful, exactly what he needed.

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand he shook his head. Nearly shook it again when he knew his mom couldn’t see his response. “The first class we spent talking, to get an idea of where I would be starting at with the classes. Consider it class zero. My first in pool class will be on Tuesday.”

“When will your second class be?” 

“Most of those classes will be on Thursdays. One will have to be on a Wednesday and one will be on a Friday.” A hunch had him jogging to his bedroom, rifling through the closet to find the sweatshirt he wore last night. One pocket and then the next, he pulled them free, the keys jangling with the jerk. 

“Back to back classes won’t be fun,” his mom remarked.

“It can’t be helped.” Kylo knew as much, it was the second last week of his swimming classes. “That’s the week that Poe needs help picking up family and friends from the airport. That is the Thursday night, then Friday is when he’s doing the stag-cubed party. And even though Hux does offer a Saturday morning class-”

“Say no more.” 

Kylo laughed, imagining his mom toasting the birds, whether it was with a mimosa, coffee or even water. “If people aren’t drunk still the Saturday morning they’ll be hungover or just plain exhausted,” he concluded. 

“How late did he get the club to stay open for?”

“I believe he managed for three a.m.”

He didn’t need to look to his clock when he heard a horn blast, drawn out with a heavy hand. Sprinted for the door of his apartment, grabbing his wallet from the kitchen bar without slowing.

“Look, Poe is here,” he told her after he locked the door. The horn had switched over to a rhythm resembling knocking. “He hasn’t chosen his suit yet and he wants me to help him. To be honest I think he just wants the company. He wants his suit to be a surprise for Finn.”

“He could be wearing ratty jeans and Finn would still call him beautiful,” she commented. A pause came, at which point he knew his mom was sipping on something and settling into a seat. “Now Han on the other hand. He does clean up well, once he puts in the effort. It’s a good thing he’s not shopping with Poe.”

“Definitely not.” His apartment was on the top floor of a two-storey building. He jogged to the stairwell, making quick time to the street. “You want to say hi to Poe?” he asked when he opened the door to get into Poe’s car. 

“Hi Leia!” Poe called, leaning closer to the phone, laughing when he realised Kylo had already hit the speakerphone button. 

“Now Poe, should I request that you help my son look his best at your wedding? He is your Best Man.” 

“I can’t make any promises,” Poe warned her once he had pulled into traffic behind a passing car. 

“I can only ask you to try your best.” Kylo rolled his eyes, knowing that she would have a sly remark ready. “Can I ask you to send me photos?”

Kylo shook his head but smiled fondly. “You can get photos after the wedding, mom. Now talk later, you don’t want to be a distraction to Poe’s driving.” She said goodbye to both of them before hanging up. “So, has Finn bought his suit or are you both trying to do this at the last minute? Relatively speaking.”

“He hasn’t said a word,” Poe admitted, huffing out a chuckle. “But he has Rey helping him out, so I’m guessing he has a suit chosen.”

“You should’ve hired her to be a wedding planner.” Kylo meant it as no slight. Finn was fairly organised, he learned prior to meeting Poe, but Rey was always five steps ahead, not just for herself but for everyone else who needed it. “She would have a pen and paper calendar in addition to a schedule stored on her phone and tablet. Scheduling it and sending alarms to you and Finn to let you know when you need to meet the caterer or florist.”

“We’re meeting the florist next Saturday,” Poe commented, bobbing his head but keeping his eyes on the road and motorists around him. “We found a florist not too far your mom’s cottage, drove by her place by luck. We don’t want anything fancy, we just want natural additions to compliment the garden behind the cottage. We’ve already decided on a woven flower basket that will be in the front with the wedding party. We’ll figure out the rest when we meet her. Then on Sunday we’re deciding on the menu with the caterer.” 

Reflecting on calendars and deadlines, Kylo chuckled. “Rey and Hux would wax poetic over day-planners. Ah, right. Hux is my swimming teacher. I’ll be doing classes with him on Tuesdays. Most Thursdays, but we did arrange to leave my one Thursday open to pick up your family and friends.”

“Well, I do appreciate that. Not just because it’s my family and friends but I know that the swimming idea….” Wagging his fingers between them, his left hand steady on the wheel, Poe wavered and struggled for words before looking sideways to him. He looked as stricken as he did when everyone was yelling for Kylo. “I got carried away. And you have every reason to not join us.”

“I… didn’t own up to my mom, to anyone.” Guilt was heavy in his chest, a shadow over the sunny morning. “Omitting is as bad as lying. And I’ve got the swimming classes now. I’ll be in the water, if not swimming then wading.” 

“Can I buy you a lifejacket to match your suit?” Poe was unfortunate he was driving, unable to retaliate for the swipe to the back of his head Kylo gave him. “I’m joking!”

“I am taking swimming lessons for a reason,” Kylo insisted, smirking despite himself. “I won’t be the best swimmer but I’m not leaving myself open to additional risks.”

“That absolutely makes sense.” Stopped at a red-light Poe glanced to him, almost apologetic. “Although, I don’t quite understand why, for all those years, you came with me and my friends to the pool. We could’ve done other things together.”

Kylo didn’t want to say that he didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to spend time with his only friend when growing up. Not only was Poe happy to hang out with him but Kylo looked up to him, at least until he had his growth spurt. “I guess I just liked going with a group. Your friends were nice, usually. I didn’t mind hanging out on the deck. I could keep an eye on everyone’s stuff.”

Poe cocked his head, shifting gears when the green light appeared. “That’s not why we brought you along.”

“I know, and you know I did actually do things with everyone when we went somewhere else.” It had been easy to tell Hux about his fear of being at the pool but to try and explain it to Poe only made him clam up, talk about anything else. “Even if I was lousy at football. A lot better at soccer and baseball.”

Conversation spun to the past, to friends and what they were doing now. Yet in the back of his mind, lingering even while he and Poe tried on suits, Kylo was counting down to when he would finally get into a pool.

*

He shuddered to think about what Poe would say if he saw him clinging to the railing of the cement stairs that lowered him further into the water. Reason told him Poe would be supportive, but it was thinking about Poe’s old friends, that they’d be laughing at him. His mind chose a bad time to conjure up those negative thoughts. He focused on the water lapping at his shins, reminding himself they didn’t matter. Even more significantly Poe had only invited the one other friend of that group that he still kept in touch with to the wedding. He was in the wedding party as well and he had been the nicest of the group too.

Hux had been waiting for him in the pool. His red hair looked copper, heavy with water. When he met Hux last week his hair had been styled, parted and gel beginning to weaken, but after wetting it, bangs hanging in his eyes, he pulled it back with both hands. He walked over to him, standing beside the stairs. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m getting there.” He was trying to stay relaxed but his voice was tight. A frown started to pull at his lips but was startled away when Hux touched his arm. 

“We don’t have to rush, we can sit here first.” 

Kylo happily shuffled to make room for Hux, sitting down on the same step as him. “I’m not planning on staying here for the whole class,” Kylo reassured him. 

“It’s a good place to start.” Hux spared him a quick glance. “And this way, you can get an idea of what it feels like to be waist high in the water.” 

A glance down showed that the water was actually just below his chest, just a bit higher on Hux. He hadn’t taken notice of how tall the other man, having spent most of their time last week seated. They had to be pretty close in height. “This doesn’t seem too bad,” Kylo admitted, swirling his hand under the water. The last time he did anything close to this had to have been when he was still bathing as a kid. Funny how that never bothered him. 

“You’re comfortable with this?” Hux asked, watching his fingers as he splashed the water slightly. 

“For now.” Flipping his hand over he cupped water, lifting it free from the surface. Watched it trickle past his fingers to join the pool again. “You only teach privately to adults, right?”

Hux nodded, shifting his legs in lazy kicks. “And when I taught group classes too. I think the youngest were somewhere in their twenties. But it was a wide range of individuals, age- and comfort-wise.”

Folding his arms onto his lap, Kylo hunched forward. “I’m sure I’m the worst.”

“You made it into the pool,” Hux reminded him, stilling his leg and glancing towards him. Kylo could see that much from the corner of his eye. “And there is no measure of best or worse. You came here to take lessons. Some people are too scared to even take that first step.”

“My cousin is outside in her car, waiting for me,” Kylo added, squeezing his eyes further shut. “I wouldn’t call that freewill, let alone my choice.”

“Yet you haven’t gotten out of the pool yet. You could’ve decided to do that but you haven’t.” Hux sounded pleased by what Kylo considered a detriment. He didn’t know how well he’d be able to walk backwards out of the pool, now that his step was occupied with someone else, giving him less room to manoeuvre. “That’s still one more step forward.”

“It’s stationary,” Kylo countered. 

“It’s not backwards.” 

The sceptical look Kylo cast him was met with a slip of a smile. Contrary to just make him feel better. Huffing under his breath Kylo glanced back to the pool, gazing out past the lifeguard stands, to the deep end. His breath nearly stuttered. “Are you trying to be difficult?”

“I’m looking at the positive things you’ve done today.” Hux kept his gaze on him though. “You’ve got a bathing suit on. You’re sitting in the pool. You’re comfortable enough to stay on your step in the pool, talking with me. You’re actually chest high. In my books, based where you were last week, this is significant.”

“You wouldn’t be saying this if there were eight-year-olds swimming laps around me right now.”

“Comparing yourself to anyone else is counterproductive.” Hux’s voice hardened enough that Kylo flinched, mostly to bring his eyes to Hux. His tone and features lightened when he realised Kylo was regarding him again. “I’m not here to declare who wins or comes in last. I’m here to help you get comfortable in water, to learn how to swim.”

“How long have you been swimming for?” When he first came out to the pool deck he saw Hux swimming laps, effortless and without strain. He looked so relaxed in the pool that he was nearly jealous, wondering how long it would take him to feel that way, ignoring the voice in the back of his head that whispered never. “How old were you when you first learned how to swim?”

“I started lessons when I was… four? My dad wanted me to take swimming lessons for the sake of knowing. To be safe if anything were to happen. He didn’t need me to be a strong swimmer but it turns out, I was.” Hux’s cheek twitched on a silent laugh before he twisted to face him. “He didn’t necessarily want me to be an athlete when I grew up but he did expect me to be fit, to have a physique more like yours but athletics weren’t really my speciality. I would’ve liked to have competed in swimming but that was outside what I could afford. But I kept taking swimming classes. Got all my certifications too.”

Kylo pursed his lips, not only for his own lacking skills but realising that there was more to swimming that he realised. “How long does that take?” 

“It depends on the swimmer. There are… they call them levels, and they originally start with six. It depends on the parents but I’ve often seen kids learn to swim when they are school age.” Hux paused, shifting his shoulder but also measuring his words. “The certifications I took, they’re if you plan on doing lifeguarding or teaching swimming. You need to be fifteen to be a lifeguard.”

“That is not of any interest to me.” Not that he didn’t think he couldn’t improve but he wouldn’t want to put anyone else’s life in his own hands. “I’ll focus on learning how to swim.”

Neither laugh or smile crossed Hux’s features but if he could sense anything Kylo decided it was relief. It could’ve been that Hux was afraid that his own experience would cow him further but Kylo hadn’t reacted that way. It was curiosity, and, not that he had any doubts in Hux, happy to know that Hux knew what he was doing. “I’m glad to hear that,” Hux said. 

“When I first came out to the pool, and you were swimming… what were you doing in the deep end?” Kylo had been startled at first, then confused. There had to be a straightforward explanation for what he was doing. “You weren’t swimming, I know that, but you had stopped when I called to you. You shifted so you looked like you were up, sitting like this. I think your arms were moving?”

“Oh, I was treading water.” Matching the description Hux nodded. “There’s no need to tread water in the shallow end, unless you can comfortably lift your feet off the bottom of the pool. That wouldn’t work for either of us. But in deep water, you can just… the easiest way to describe it is to move your legs like an egg beater. I think? You just move your legs – like this.” Shuffling to the end of the step, keeping his leg bent but angling it out further to not bump his calves on the remaining stairs, he started moving his legs, from the knees down, inward, staggering them so they don’t hit one another. “If you move your legs like this it helps to keep you afloat. You can also move your arms at your sides, back and forth or in figure-eights.”

Trying to account for all of his limbs, moving every which way, was too much for Kylo to comprehend while sitting. Doing that away from the stairs, all the way in the deep end, was terrifying. “That sounds way too difficult for me.”

“I don’t expect you to learn that in our classes,” Hux reassured him, expression still kind. “We’ll do what you want to do, and when you’re ready for it.” 

Kylo looked out to the deep end, chewing on the inside of his lip. “If I were to take swimming lessons with you in the fall, would I get to learn to tread water then?” 

Hux sat up straighter. “You want to do that?”

“Maybe.” The water seemed less chill on his skin as he sat there, looking out to the opposite end. “I want to try. I guess it would depend on how my classes go.” 

“That sounds reasonable,” Hux agreed, pulling his feet back onto the step he’d been sharing with Kylo.

“Yeah.” Shifting his hands to grip the step he pushed himself up, standing. Hand stretching, fingers shaking until he grasped the bar, he took a deep breath before finding the bottom beyond the stairs. 

Turning to face Hux Kylo smiled.

It was still a move forward.


	3. Week 2

Six weeks, twelve classes of swimming. At first Kylo was ready to dig his heels in, refusing to go forward with the idea. Yet with his mom’s money put into the classes, and Rey his chauffer, he had no choice but to go the pool. The fortunate thing was that Hux did appear to be fairly nice. Somewhat formal, explaining to him what would happen over the next several weeks. It was comforting to know that he wouldn’t be pushed into the pool, physically or metaphorically, and he was completely flexible to Kylo’s nerves. They would take as much time needed before moving to the next step, next splash to be more apt.

His first in-pool class the trepidation returned. He clutched his towel when he ventured out to the deck, nearly wringing it when he saw Hux in the deep end. It was a huge relief that Hux swam to the shallow end to greet him properly.

Despite knowing how the classes would progress he still was amazed by his own ability to not panic when he finally abandoned the steps. His shoulders and neck had been tense even though the water lapped gently at his skin, no higher than his belly. Hux offered that they could keep to the perimeter, within reach of the pool’s edge, but Kylo was willing to stay in the middle of the pool.

It felt weird, the drag around his legs. It was no different than walking on solid ground, the bottom of the pool immediately underfoot, solid against his toes and heels. It just felt heavier, the resistance of the water against muscle a peculiar feeling. At first he waited for a misstep, a splash followed by water dragging him under. The longer he walked, Hux always an arm’s length away, the more comfortable he felt.

After class he stood under the shower spray, trying to scrub the chlorine out of his skin. Once he felt the smell was out of his nostrils he looked up to the showerhead. It took a step forward and a tilt of his chin but once directly under the spray he closed his eyes, breathing slowly. It wasn’t comparable to how he would feel with his face directly submerged in the water but it was enough to make his heartrate beat faster. 

It was when the door slammed open against the wall that he gurgled and swallowed, spat the water out that splashed into his mouth. Hux had followed him into the change rooms. “What are you doing in here?” Kylo stammered once he was no longer coughing. 

“I also shower before going home,” Hux explained, nodding to the series of shower heads along the wall. Kylo had taken the second one closest to the door out to the deck. “I don’t particularly care for the smell of chlorine after the fact.” 

“I can’t stand it,” Kylo admitted, glad that he was finally free of the smell for the day.

“A necessary evil. Public pools go heavier on the chemicals to keep the water at a necessary chemical balance, health wise, for swimmers.” Hux stepped sideways, half out of the water, to reach for the soap dispenser between the two showerheads. Foamed soap in his hand he began a lazy scrub. “Private pools don’t need as much chemicals. Or they can choose to use salt water. Some pool owners decide to do that.”

Considering the mouthful of water he had inhaled, however accidentally, Kylo gagged. “Why?”

“Personal taste?” Hux didn’t laugh but merely shrugged, using the movement to clean under his arms. “I’ve been swimming so long that I’m accustomed to chlorine. Or swimming in a lake or sea.”

Kylo wondered if Hux had ever mentioned which sea he had swam in. Rather than ask he focused on the other option unmentioned. “Have you ever swam in the ocean?”

“I’ve never had the opportunity. Well, never taken the opportunity,” Hux corrected, cocking his head slightly. With a stretch he reached out to the wall beside him. Kylo hadn’t notice the shelf on it, or the bottle perched on it.

“Would you?” It probably wasn’t that different from swimming in a sea, perhaps experiencing larger waves and different water life. “My feet have only ever experienced lake water, or the water in my tub.”

Hux did chuckle, working a lather into his hands before pulling it through his hair. “Maybe. I’ve only traveled to England, or short distances from around here.” 

“My parents were sorely disappointed with me when we travelled to Hawaii,” Kylo commented, shaking his head a little. Having not gotten his hair wet he didn’t need to wash his hair, but made a note to bring shampoo with him on Thursday. “Around ten years ago. It was a good trip, I did enjoy everything else.”

Tilting his head back enough to rinse his hair, Hux could still talk safely. “I haven’t gone anywhere south, more than two hours from here. Which would be enjoyable, because I can tell you swimming in northern England is pretty cold, even in the summer.”

There was the answer that had been evading Kylo. He resisted the urge to laugh but did lift his eyebrows, watching a small smile creep across Hux’s face. “I can imagine. I would’ve forgotten how far north England is.”

“Quite.” Continuing to work the lather out of his hair, and stepping forward to rinse clean what might have been clinging to his back, Hux tilted his head towards him. “I know you have your cousin waiting for you. You don’t have to wait for me.”

“Oh, sure.” Kylo had forgotten about Rey. She had brought a book to keep her and her coffee company but he knew that this wasn’t her ideal way to spend a Tuesday night, or any night of the week. “I’ll see you on Thursday then.”

Kylo left the showers, but not without hearing Hux call goodnight to him. Drying off and dressing in record time, now that he recalled Rey, he was out in the car in a matter of minutes. She eyed him when he entered, aware of the moisture clinging to his hair, making it lank rather than wet, making mental notes for his mom. She would have a more thorough report for her on Thursday, when he finally was learning to put his face in the water. It didn’t lend as easily to conversation, learning to trust that his body could float, whether he was on his front or back. Hux helped him at first, teaching him how to breathe, to trust in his lungs and body, torso naturally coming to float on the surface of the water. Hands at his waist or shoulders when Kylo needed them. Yet it had been a successful class. They would’ve moved onto learning how to do the flutter kick, using his hands to hold onto a kickboard, but they had only ten minutes left to the class.

“When I learn to swim…” Kylo asked once they were in the showers. As he remembered from Tuesday he had brought along his hair bottles, was busy washing his hair. A brief glance sideways found Hux watching him from the corner of his eye, firm enough to indicate that what he said was somehow wrong. Kylo paused, wondered what it was, but when he came up with a blank pushed on anyways. “Which… way are you going to show me first? On my front or my back?”

“Front first.” Nodding and rinsing his own hair out, threading his fingers through, Hux continued. “After learning how to kick and breathe properly, the first stroke you learn is always front. It’s the easiest one to begin with, you can more readily look forward and further learn how to coordinate your breathing.”

“But wouldn’t it be easier to learn how to do it on your back first?” He suppressed a chuckle when he considered his question, the innuendo hitting the second time through. Barely kept from smiling when he realised the whole line of questioning held the same implication. “You can concentrate on your breathing more, focus on the floating.”

“Yes, and no.” Hux relented, concentrating on the ceiling. “The complication comes in that, if you are doing the proper backstroke, you would be looking straight up. When you are swimming a full length, whether it’s across the pool, or from shallow end to deep end, you won’t see when you come to the opposite wall. You are relying on your hand to find the wall to keep you from hitting it with your head. If you tilt your head back to get a better look, if you are doing that all the time, you will wind up hurting your neck. Water does provide support for your body but your neck really isn’t meant to bend that way.”

“I’ve got long arms.” Kylo didn’t expect it to be an adequate defence to let him learn how to swim on his back first but mentioned it regardless. “But you will teach me to do the back – stroke, right?”

“Eventually.” A hint of a smile pushed out when Hux laughed out of a soft breath. “But front-stroke on Tuesday first. Well, hopefully. We will need to make sure you’ve got the kicking part ready first.”

Kylo had been so excited that Rey didn’t need to pry the information out of him on the ride back to his place. Scrubbed clean and mostly dry, his hair merely damp and quickly drying thanks to the warm night, he was shaking his head happily. “So maybe I will get to work on the front-stroke on my third class? Fourth class for sure? I would never have thought it would be possible.”

“That’s good!” Rey agreed, turning right, finally entering Kylo’s neighbourhood. “Although considering this is your first week of classes finished, five more to go, the twelve classes seem a little overkill.”

“Well, I haven’t asked Hux if he normally does twelve classes, or even the two classes a week,” Kylo added, shifting a little in his seat now that he was thinking about it out loud. “I’ll ask him, because it is possible it’s part of the negotiations that my mom made to make sure I’d be ready for the swimming for the wedding.”

Rey made a sound that was closer to a snort than a laugh. “I don’t know if I want to interpret that as Aunt Leia making negotiations to close a deal or countering terrorism.”

“Oh, she called me a terror many times when I was a kid.”

“I’m sure she still does.”

“Wiseass.” A deep breath that settled into his lungs with a soft hum, Kylo watched the street signs as they drove past, eventually arriving to the curb in front his building. “See you on Tuesday then?”

“I’ve got work on the weekend, so yeah,” Rey commented, waiting for him to step out of the car. He made sure to lock the door before closing, regardless that Rey had power-locks.

Once she was out of sight Kylo made his way inside, careful to deposit his keys in his key bowl so he’d find them the next morning. He was lucky that his job was from Monday to Friday but this weekend he had some extra work. It wasn’t very often that he needed to bring stuff home from the workplace but that wasn’t the case this time.

Being Poe’s best man involved several responsibilities. Kylo had been eager to be involved, wanting to do what he could to make this a perfect wedding for Poe and Finn. He had been less than eager for the first thing that popped into his mind when Poe asked him to stand for him.

He hated making speeches. 

Five weeks gave him a manageable deadline to write and prepare a speech, or so he reasoned, but considering he had no idea what to say, what kind of mood he wanted to encompass, he needed to start gathering ideas, at the very least. This weekend seemed like a logical time to start.

Rey probably had finished the outline for her speech.

Grateful that he wasn’t holding keys for when he clenched his hand into a fist, he looked around his apartment. He had one notebook, and why he had it in the first place, he didn’t know. Any lists he had to make he usually put in his phone. He could just as easily start typing ideas into his computer, when he finally began.

That sounded reasonable. His body was still relaxed from his swimming. Getting to bed, imagining that he was floating on his back, warm water and hands supporting him, he’d be asleep in no time. Or he could finally open up the book that Rey gave him a couple of weeks ago. 

Once his hair was fully dry, teeth already cleaned and sleep shorts on, he curled up in bed, falling asleep several pages in.

*

Saturday did not go as planned. 

He didn’t normally sleep in. Even a lazy weekend involved waking up at eight o’clock to enjoy a cooler version of a summer run, followed by breakfast that actually let him operate the oven and sit down. 

His alarm had fifteen minutes left when his phone rang from his dresser across the room.

Rubbing his face as he ambled over, he instinctively grimaced when his mom’s name appeared with her phone number. She was never out of bed before nine on the weekend.

“Hello?” he asked once he accepted the call.

He could hear clanging and something that suspiciously sounded like running water. “Do you know the number of a good dishwasher repairman?” 

Apparently his grimace had been appropriate. “No, I don’t. Turn off the water first before you start looking up numbers.”

The water was growing distant, his mom hurrying to the watermain. “I don’t even know where the closest repairman would be around here.”

“You’ll have to call to find out.” And he knew that any repairman in the city would not be jumping at the opportunity to drive more than two hours to help his mom.

“I suppose I should be grateful that this didn’t happen next weekend when your dad is back,” she muttered. 

“Yeah, definitely.” His dad could handle most repairs but they witnessed firsthand his lack of ability to fix plumbing related issues. The most he could do was operate a plunger. 

“Okay, water is off.” Sighing in relief she began the trek back. “At least it broke down before the wedding. That would’ve been worse.”

“But you’re renting the dishes, you’re not cleaning them. But yes, a flooded kitchen the day of wouldn’t be good,” Kylo agreed, nodding along. “Do you need help with anything else?”

“I actually made plans today to do lunch with a few women who live on the lake.”

Kylo glanced to the time on the alarm clock. Only three minutes had passed. “What time are you meeting with them?”

“Eleven thirty.”

“I’ll be on the road in fifteen minutes.” He’d have enough time to wrap up some toast and pour coffee into a traveller. It was questionable how swift any repairman would be to get to the cottage, and how long the repair work would take. “I hope I get there before the repairman does.”

As it turned out the repairman didn’t arrive until three. It did give Kylo enough time to dry up around the dishwasher and have the beach towels returned to the cupboards over the washer and dryer. When his mom convinced him to stay overnight after a late dinner he woke up the next morning with a migraine. The plans he did have to brainstorm for the speech were forgotten to the discomfort and the eventual drive home.

He liked to think that a relaxing night in a pool would’ve helped the migraine to go away. The remnants hung over him on Monday, finally abating by Tuesday morning.

Rather than counting down the hours to the end of his work day he was counting the hours until he was back at the pool. It was that miscount that had him realising that Phasma was entering his office at four thirty. At first he thought he had disappointed her, her expression perturbed, but their project meeting they had that afternoon was successful.

“I don’t like that look,” Kylo admitted, watching her lean against the doorframe.

“Our meeting which we thought went so well has been…” Lips tightening she thought for several long seconds. Kylo waited for an addition, anything, which she summed up with two words. “Shat upon.”

“What?” It’s not that he didn’t understand the words, but that was not the impression he got when their client partners had left after the meeting. “How? They were in agreement.”

“It sounds like their director disagreed, once they got back. Now their director insists he has to oversee the next meeting to make sure that this deal is finalized.” With a deep sigh that lifted her shoulders she spat out the last word either of them wanted to hear. “Tonight.”

“What? I-” Groaning into his hand before bracing his forehead in his palm, shifting his elbow to the top of his desk as additional support, he wearily lifted his gaze, unaware that he had thrust his fingers through his hair so that several strands stood up. “Fine. What time?”

“Eight o’clock.” Phasma arched an eyebrow when he choked on an inhale. “Yeah, I feel the same way. If he can’t rely on his own employees to make a deal he should come to the next meeting with them.”

“I can’t do an eight o’clock meeting.” Feeling the lack of hair framing his face Kylo quickly finger-combed the pieces back down. “Why can’t we do this earlier?”

“He has a meeting at five o’clock that runs until seven o’clock. And by that assumption, I think he expects this to be a two-hour ordeal.” She frowned, crossing her arms. “Ordeal is right.”

Flopping his arm onto his desk he shook his head. “I have a swimming class at nine.”

Phasma narrowed one eye, not in any curious manner, but a pause to rethink. “I’m sure you could leave early.”

“But this is my project too, and Snoke would have my head if I left you to the three of them. Not that he doesn’t already know you could take on all three of them on your own.” His cell phone was in his drawer, only to be brought out on morning and lunch break. Pulling it out he got no further past gripping it, sliding it on to desk with an even worse realisation. “Oh. Oh no.”

With his face paling Phasma took a step in, hesitated when the thought she might need help required her to take a step back into the hall. “Are you having a medical episode?”

“I might be.” He certainly felt a headache coming on, but it was for the disbelief that despite all the schedules he and Hux wrote up there was one glaring issue. “I didn’t set up the swimming classes myself. I don’t know how to get in touch with my swimming teacher. He does private classes so I don’t know how to get in touch with him, through the pool or… I don’t know!”

“Are you going to cancel your class?” Phasma asked, now entering his office, guaranteed there wasn’t an emergency.

“Probably. Unless!” He could push aside his self-consciousness for one night, if Hux’s schedule worked. “Maybe I can do my class earlier. But first… I need to phone around, figure out how to get in touch with him.”

It hadn’t taken him long to find the number for the pool but the man who answered the phone didn’t know who Armitage Hux was. The woman he handed the phone to did know Hux but due to privacy and personal information she couldn’t give him his phone number. There was one last person he could try phoning. First he tried his mom’s cell number before her work one.

“Ben! I wouldn’t have expected you to call me from work, is everything alright?”

“Not exactly. A last-minute meeting was scheduled, for when I would normally be at my lesson with Hux.” Phasma had left his office when he started making his calls, finishing up her work for their regular shift. “I don’t have his cell number but I hope you do. I’m hoping I can do an earlier class with him, otherwise I need to reschedule.”

“Let me just turn on my phone, I have him down as a contact.” Resisting the urge to tap his pen he waited, eying the time on his computer. “Okay, got it.”

When he did phone Hux it immediately clicked over to voicemail. He groaned until the beep cut him short. “Hi Hux, sorry to bother you, this is Kylo Ren. Kylo. I’m at work, I should be finishing up but I’ve just found out I have a meeting scheduled, without any warning. It’s supposed to be at eight and I know I won’t be out before nine. Would it be possible to do the class earlier? Otherwise I need to reschedule.”

Leaving his phone number he hung up. Wondered how much time he might have to run home and get his pool things before getting to the pool. If Hux would be available. The papers he’d been using for the meeting were tucked away in the shelving unit to the side, which he pulled out in preparation for the newly scheduled meeting. Phasma had additional notes for their project. Sliding them into a leather portfolio he shut down his computer. Grabbed his keys from the coat hook beside his door. The last thing he picked up was his phone, which rang as soon as his fingers were around it. “Hello?” 

He couldn’t have been more relieved to hear Hux. “I hadn’t stopped to consider that we would need to exchange phone numbers.”

“I forgot about it too. What with my mom making the initial arrangements.” Locking his office Kylo made his way out, nodding quickly to Phasma whose office was ahead of his. She too was locking up, but had looked back upon hearing him. “Is there any chance that we can meet up earlier? So long as I have a half hour to make myself presentable I’m flexible.” 

“Unfortunately tonight is one of my longer days. I won’t be finished until seven. What does the rest of your week look like?”

“Tomorrow doesn’t work for me.” Not wanting to share his phone call with anyone else on the elevator he hurried to the stairwell. Their work place took up the whole eighth floor but taking the stairs was no strain on his body. “I hate to ask but… are you free on Friday?”

“Absolutely.” Kylo could make out the soft tap of a pen on paper. “Nine o’clock still good with you?”

“Yeah.” He chewed on his lip for a second too long. “Are you sure that won’t ruin your plans?”

“Not at all, I don’t have anything happening Friday night,” Hux reassured him.

The meeting was just as frustrating as Kylo and Phasma feared. The two women they had been working the project with kept giving them pointed looks, interspersed with silent apologies and talking about the project, trying to explain it to the director. He and Phasma knew they were competent, smart and completely up to date with the project aims and goals. Knew the details down to each powerpoint number that Phasma was showing the director on her iPad. He and Phasma were still fielding the director’s phone calls the next day. Several more Thursday morning.

“That is just absurd,” Hux mumbled while Kylo worked on his kicking, floating on his back.

He murmured his agreement; eyes closed his shoulders were finally relaxed for the first time since Tuesday night. He breathed in when Hux’s hand found the small of his back, pushing him up a fraction. “I think he’s just soured that two women, fifteen years younger than him, know more than he does.”

“If that’s the case he should be worried that he’s not out of a job,” Hux commented.

Kylo matched his smirk, twisting his head slightly. Despite feeling relaxed his mind was still busy, too wound up to focus on learning the stroke. Tonight this was for the best; he knew the next day he’d be easily advancing to his front-stroke.

They made their way to the side of the pool, Kylo still kicking. Hux’s hand cushioned his head from the tiles at the side of the pool. Sinking his legs down, an act that two weeks ago would’ve had him panicking, he calmly brought his feet to the bottom of the pool. 

Used the kicking board for four sideways lengths, holding onto it while kicking and breathing.

The nudge Hux gave him the next day, tapping his shoulder, had him breathing slowly, blowing bubbles in the water as he rolled onto his stomach, grinning when he lifted his chin, then his face, fully from the water.

“Excellent.” Hux smiled back.

Kylo kicked his feet forward, finding the bottom with his toes first. “Am I ready to try the front stroke?”

Hux glanced up to the clock before nodding. But before Kylo could push off with his toes, start to float on his front, Hux pursed his lips. “I have a question first, which you don’t have to answer. I can understand if you’re not comfortable with it.”

Standing with his back to the side of the pool, Kylo cocked his head. “What do you want to know?”

The corner of Hux’s mouth turned up, the only sign of hesitation. “Are you comfortable talking about your accident? I’ve been wondering what happened. I didn’t want to pry with you, and your mom didn’t say what happened other than there was an accident.”

Hux had more or less been looking at him, shifting to stand beside him when Kylo didn’t answer. Hux waited but when ten seconds passed in silence he moved away. His hand rested on his shoulder, starting to ease him away from the side of the pool but Kylo kept his feet where they were. 

Kylo shook his head, which Hux took to leave him alone. Started towards the stairs but Kylo called after him. 

“My mom’s cottage, it’s on the lake as you know. The deck out from the shore is fairly long since the water is shallow for a good…. maybe ten feet?” Kylo followed after Hux, stopping to lean his shoulder to the wall. Hux shifted so his back was against the edge. “So it’s long, and a few feet wide. Manageable if two people were trying to pass each other. If there really was a rush. I’ve always stayed on the grass, there are a couple of wooden chairs in the shade.

“I volunteered to be the bartender. I was making the drinks inside the cottage. The way to the dock was clear so I figured I was safe. My mom, my cousin and several friends were already down at the end of the dock. It’s wider there, all around, with room for five or six people to lounge comfortably. I made my way down carefully, with a tray and all the glasses. My cousin, Rey, was lying on a towel, so I crouched to pass her the glass.”

Curling his fingers into his hair, peeling it back away from his ear, he squeezed his eyes shut, tried to hide into his palm. 

“Poe, my best friend, just came racing down the dock. He cannonballed into the lake without seeing me and, barrelling into me, brought me tumbling in head first. He surfaced to everyone else yelling at us. I don’t remember what happened when I hit the water but somehow they managed to get me out, despite my floundering and… absolute panic.”

“Did you get injured?”

“My side was sore for a good week. I came home early on the Sunday and had an x-ray on Monday. Nothing was fractured, just bruises and the pain of being jolted and tense for the next few days until I got a clean bill of health,” Kylo explained, angling his mouth away, out from under his hand.

“Which side did he run into?” Hux asked, glancing to each side of his waist.

“My right.” Kylo eased his hand down when he shifted away from the wall, Hux’s hand sliding below the surface, letting him look and feel better. “It was sore for the first couple of weeks. Poe ran into me good. I guess I can look small, for a six foot plus person crouched down. I know he still feels guilty and keeps on apologizing. But it was an accident. And it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

“That’s good.” Hux cleared his throat, twisted to look at him straight on. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you refused to do these swimming lessons. Thinking about that, what you went through, that is scary. I don’t know how anyone would recover, and then agree to go back in the water. You’re a lot braver than you give yourself credit for.”

“Thanks.” Aside from the apologies that Poe continued to give him this was the first time he explained what had happened to anyone aside from his family doctor. His mom hadn’t spoken to him about it. Maybe Rey, Poe and Finn talked about it amongst themselves but never while he was with them. Thinking about it still made a chill sweep through his body but the pool held him in its warm hold. The wall was solid beside him. “I don’t always feel brave but… I’m feeling better about what I can do in a pool now. That I can get better, here and up at the cottage.”

“That is important.” Bringing his hand up to his shoulder Hux squeezed him, smiling encouragingly. “You are doing really well. Four classes, that’s something to be proud of. And if there’s anything that makes you feel uneasy, let me know. We can stop, refocus, get you calm. We’re doing what you want to do. Don’t push yourself if you don’t feel ready.”

“I know.” Even though he could feel a hint of goosebumps on his arms, the chill not relenting yet, he could feel his cheeks warm up to excess. He was completely undeserving of the compliments but he still smiled, a small curl of his lips that he ducked to hide. “You’ve told me that and… thank you.”

“I don’t want to embarrass you too much.” Cringing and nearly ducking his head more, Kylo managed a quick nod, still not ready to look up. Hux withdrew his hand but not without another squeeze. “I know you didn’t have to tell me any of it but I appreciate it too. And that was hard enough so why don’t we call it a night.”

“I’ll take that.” Inhaling and exhaling deep, wishing it would help to cool his face, Kylo straightened. Hux let him pass, for which he was grateful, able to keep his pink face out of sight for a little bit longer. Under the showers he could convince himself it was for the hot water. 

In the car with Rey he chose to stay quiet. 

Settled into the seat, embarrassment let go of, he felt lighter.


	4. Week 3

Waking up Saturday morning, thankfully at his regular time, he brushed his teeth before going on his run. Granted he probably wouldn’t be getting into anyone personal space within the next hour, more so once he hit the park. It did give him a few minutes more to wake up properly, looking in the mirror, and wondering why he looked and felt well rested for the first time in weeks. 

It was recalling his conversation in the pool last night with Hux that prompted him to realise it was the first time that he talked about the accident. That he didn’t have someone watching him with concern or guilt. He had the chance to tell what happened without any judgement. Hux listened with quiet encouragement and sympathy.

When he got home after his run it was half past nine. Worries not pressing him down he kept taking the longer trails, enjoying the fresh morning and the thrill of finding new paths. 

Showered and in the process of cooking up scrambled eggs, his phone rang. Keeping an eye on the pan he retrieved his phone, answering it on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Are you busy?” Rey asked.

“I’m cooking up breakfast,” Kylo explained. Not that she needed to hear the sizzle of the eggs but he walked over back to the stove, adding in chopped apple.

“That’s later than your usual schedule.”

“I took a longer run.” Mixing everything with the spatula before adding a bit of sage he stood back. “What’s up?”

“Aside from making sure that Poe and Finn are doing everything they’re scheduled to do this weekend?” Kylo nearly rolled his eyes. He was fairly sure that Poe and Finn didn’t need her monitoring their every single step. They always knew what preparations would be needed for the wedding, would’ve managed well on their own. To Rey’s credit, she did give them an order of when to do everything, everything in sequence to another and preventing last minute scrambles. “I’m going out for a fitting for my dress with Rose. And working on my speech whenever I get the chance. How is yours going?”

“It’s going.” Going in the way of sitting down and working on ideas after he ate. “I’ve left today open so I would be able to work on it.”

“And you are free tomorrow?” Underlying her casual tone was the hint of a plan. It helped that knowing Finn and Poe’s schedule she had the day off. 

Almost laughing, yet biting back the sigh of an unplanned Sunday being usurped, Kylo forced some amount of cheer to his voice. “What do you need to do?”

“I have some unofficial wedding business to tend to,” Rey began, to which Kylo settled further against the counter after he turned down the element’s temperature. “I want to buy a guestbook for all the wedding guests to sign during the reception. I also want to find a picture frame or two so Poe and Finn can keep two of the wedding photos out. It’ll be a gift from us.”

“I’m sure you will find a beautiful set of picture frames,” Kylo reassured her, ready to end the call.

“We have to do it! This is a gift from us. We are their best-people, we have to shop together. I’ve already got a few stores in mind that we can go to. The guestbook should be easy but we need to find a perfect set of frames for them,” Rey insisted, detailing her preparations for their day of shopping. More likely it would be a day of comparison shopping, driving back and forth and then spending the rest of the week deciding on more stores to go to.

It was hope that made him readily agree. Maybe they could find something good in one day. “Okay, tomorrow then. What time should we head out?”

“You can pick me up at eleven.” Rey only borrowed his mom’s car for driving him to the pool. Since Rey had her car last night his mom drove up to the cottage early this morning. How much coffee was required for that drive he didn’t want to know. 

He endured driving to stores the next day, making up excuses each time Rey asked him about his speech. Some parts he was able to answer, the ideas he was considering, but failed to mention that he got no further than jotting down ideas, quickly scratching them out when he realised they wouldn’t work.

Finding a guestbook that they both liked was easy enough. It was driving around to stores to find the perfect picture frames that grew tiring. He didn’t consider himself picky but he had to agree that some of the frames they found were just hideous. He only had enough patience to shop for two hours before announcing that he had enough. The stores they went to after he barely had enough restraint, making various sound effects that conveyed his disinterest or outright disgust.

Rey at least had the decency to not drag him out to do shopping Monday night. That was probably because she texted him links of picture frames that she found online. By lunch time he stopped looking at any of the texts she sent him. By the time he was eating dinner he had over a dozen unread messages to go through. It was only luck that they were all links and not related to favours or worse, an emergency.

“I like the idea of a picture frame. They’ll be able to put out wedding photos, rather than hide them in a photo album or online. They can look at their table or shelf and it’s right there, for everyone to see,” Kylo explained at the side of the pool, his breath no longer laboured. The idea of swimming was easy when he was thinking of all the movements separately. Face in the water, turn to breathe. Keep kicking his legs. Move his arms. 

All at the same time, and his arm splashing water into his face when he turned to breathe, it didn’t take long to inhale water rather than air.

With another deep breath, his shoulders slumping down, he shook his head. “I’m starting to think picture frame shopping is easier than swimming.”

Hux huffed amusedly through his nose. “I’ll have to disagree with you.”

“But you’re my teacher,” Kylo countered, smiling slightly. “You would say that.”

“You’ve only just tried the swimming part. As well as you’ve taken to the breathing and the kicking, combining that with moving your arms, it will be tricky at first.” Hux did tip his head toward him, a few wet strands of hair sliding free to his forehead. “But you and your cousin are relying on your personal tastes. What you like might not be what the couple-” 

“Poe and Finn.” He couldn’t help it. Finn was a great man, a perfect match for Poe. He was fun to spend time with, even when it was just the two of them, rare as it was. Poe was his best friend, so he was more accustomed to saying his name first. When Rey talked about them it was always Finn and Poe. 

“Poe and Finn might not like the picture frames as much as you and… Rey do.”

Kylo was postponing his next attempt at swimming but his question wasn’t meant to be a delay tactic. “Have you ever been in a wedding party?”

“I’ve never been to a wedding,” Hux remarked. Kylo wondered if the emphasis was intended for the answer, or preparing to firmly rebuke him for still leaning against the edge of the pool. “Now remember, when moving your arms, it doesn’t matter whether you are swimming fast or slow, you will need to remember to pace it with your breathing. And breathe to the side that feels most comfortable to you.”

This was the first class he left feeling less than confident. Trying to combine his arms and legs to move together, while not swallowing the pool, was trickier than expected. Working on one or two at a time had been easy. He was almost angry with himself, eyes burning as he stood under the shower.

Hux stayed quiet, watching him from the corner of his eye while he cleaned up. Taking longer under the hot water than usual, trying to relax, meant that they were dressing at the same time.

“You did well today, all things considered.” 

Kylo huffed under his breath, tugging hard on his laces when he finished the bow. “It didn’t feel that way.”

“In my experience, I’ve seen people either struggle with learning to breathe, learning how to do the front stroke, or both. You’re doing well with breathing and kicking, it’s just a matter of… fine tuning the process.” Hux was already a few steps ahead of him, standing in front of him, his bag over his shoulder. Something told him that Hux’s usual taste in clothes didn’t involve sweatpants but he wore a slim pair and a loose shirt. “I guess, consider it this way. You don’t know how to do a u-turn without learning how to do a three-point turn first.”

“Obviously you never had my dad as your driving teacher.” Kylo’s grim mood lightened a little, remembering all the lessons his dad taught him. Remarkably he did show him the proper rules of the road prior to his road test. Showed him the Solo tricks of the trade afterwards, including the all-important steps to take care of his car. It wasn’t very often he had to take his car to a garage for anything. 

“Not only would my dad never, he is a horrible driver. He’s never been in an accident but that’s on account of everyone else being defensive drivers,” Hux admitted. 

“And you?” Standing up, both sneakers tied, Kylo walked alongside him.

“No accidents either, so I’m guessing I’m pretty good.” Two sets of keys in his hand Hux stepped ahead to open the door. It wasn’t that cool out but his damp hair Kylo left a chill on the back of his neck. “The only thing to blame on my insurance going up is the increase in rates.”

“Now you’re sounding like my dad.” From the corner of his eye he could see Rey shift in her seat, probably putting her book down. In two seconds the headlights were on, the car engine revving with the twist of the key. 

“I’m pretty sure I shouldn’t like that comparison,” Hux remarked, looking towards Rey briefly. 

“It’s not the worst thing.” Kylo waved to Hux when he backed away, towards the spot his car was always parked. He waited until Hux was in his own car, backing up, before getting in the car with Rey.

“Any reason why you were taking your time?” Rey asked, backing out of the parking spot faster than usual.

“Why? Are we going to shop more picture frames now?” Kylo asked, keeping his tone neutral. He had to bite the inside of his lip to keep from smirking.

“You didn’t even text me to tell me which frames you liked yesterday, after all the links I sent you,” Rey pointed out, her turns sharper as she winded through the lot.

“I may have had a conversation with someone.” Looking to Rey, who side-eyed him when stopped at the entrance-exit to the street, Kylo waited to see if she would listen. “Maybe we are taking the wrong approach. We should try and find picture frames that are suited to Poe and Finn’s tastes. Something that would look good with what they already have in their house.”

“That would make more sense, and helps to narrow it down.” Giving him a pointed nod she turned right. “Just make sure to look at the links I sent you before going to bed. If any of them look good, we’ll choose one of them. Otherwise we’re going to the first store we went to on Sunday. They did have the most variety there.”

He wound up taking a look at the links and named his preference while eating a quick breakfast the next morning.

*

It had been over a week since the late meeting with the two women and their ass-backwards director. The director continued to be involved, a fraction more than he had been originally, but either he had had a talking to from his own boss or he quickly learned to stay involved and knowledgeable with the project. The week had progressed smoothly without any hints of additional after-work meetings. One less source of stress, and taking his swimming classes twice a week, he could spend the rest of his evenings relaxing, whether it was putting off writing his speech, going out to a movie, reading a book or putting off his speech more.

Wednesday night, deciding to find something on Netflix worth watching, notepad somewhere in the vicinity of the kitchen – out of sight, out of mind – he remembered Hux had a longer day on that Tuesday night, preventing an earlier class from happening. 

What did Hux do when he wasn’t teaching him swimming?

He pushed the question out of his mind long enough to watch a documentary. Talk with Poe for the last ten minutes of the film, wrapped up when Finn required his help some half hour later. 

By morning he had forgotten about it. It didn’t help that waking up required two cups of coffee, the second one drank within the first hour he got to work. He didn’t have any meetings scheduled with their client partners but Snoke had called a meeting to get an appraisal how well all projects were going, his and Phasma’s included. They had the dubious honour of being the only team to have experienced a hiccup, even though it had been resolved in a matter of days.

“Why is it that I would not be surprised if the director decides to derail the project again, just to prove us wrong for Snoke?” Kylo asked on the walk back to their offices.

“Don’t say that. Saying it would guarantee it,” Phasma warned. 

“Well, he has an hour left to screw us up for today.” Nudging open his door open he raised his eyebrows to Phasma. “Let’s hope he doesn’t phone us and actually has wised up to the project.”

His phone was silent for the rest of the day. Getting home in time for dinner and making sure his swim bag was by the door it was just a matter of time until Rey was texting him to announce her arrival. 

He was on the deck five minutes before nine. He could see Hux swimming in the deep end. A part of him wanted to venture further along the deck so he could study Hux’s approach, to watch how Hux swam the front stroke so he could do a better version on his own. Yet the apprehension of a chance fall, to find the bottom of the pool out of reach of his feet, led him to sit on the stairs, careful to be quiet, studying Hux at a distance.

It was a minute after seven when Hux swam over to him, easing back to stand. “I have failed to notice until now that you haven’t tried to jump into the pool. You’ve always taken the stairs in.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Kylo reassured him, hurrying to step into the pool before Hux could stop him. “I’ll be running into the lake anyways. I already know I don’t have the right form for jumping, I fall in.”

“That’s not helping your defence.” Kylo frowned, stood his ground when Hux moved closer. “And I don’t expect you to jump in the deep end either. Jumping in the shallow end, you won’t even go underwater. If you do, all you need to do is push yourself up right with your feet. You’ll be above the water in less than a second.”

“Is this really necessary?” Kylo asked, barely moving under the hand Hux brought up to his shoulder.

“I’ll be in the pool, right in front of you when you jump.”

The splash of water got no higher than his chest. It was almost disappointing, but more than that, it was a safe entry, his head well above the water exactly like he wanted. 

He could almost understand Poe’s approach for getting into the water. Not the running and colliding with him part but jumping out in the deep end. For a brief moment he wondered what it would be like, confident and underwater, the sun a glimmer above him. Sure strokes pulling him up to the surface.

“Do you want to try it again?” Hux asked.

“Where does it get a bit deeper?” Hux never took him further out than where the water went past his waist. “If I could touch the ground but the water would be… up to my shoulders?”

“Well…” Looking around, Hux walked away from him, towards the deep end. Being of a comparable height, the two inches that separated them in his favour, Kylo noticed that the water brushed over Hux’s shoulders when he was mostly in line with the lifeguard chairs. “It would be awkward to jump from in front of the chairs. So maybe jump in from the right of the chair.”

Climbing out of the pool again he walked along the side of the deck. His belly did a curious lurch when he walked past where he originally jumped in, treading wet foot prints further. Instinctively he took a steady hold on the leg when he positioned himself beside the lifeguard chair; looked away, towards the pool where Hux stood a few metres away from him. He swallowed thickly, hoping it would prevent his voice from cracking. “Can you – move closer?” 

Hux took several steps towards the side of the pool. “Good?”

Kylo nodded, loosened tight fingers. With a deep breath he shifted his toes so they met the edge. Throat and chest tight he pushed away, jumping out. 

He underestimated how far he would jump. He was nearly face to face with Hux.

“How was that?” Hux regarded him calmly. Even looked impressed.

“Not as bad as I thought.” His throat wasn’t too tight to keep him from talking but it felt like his chest was trembling. Scared but also impressed that he did it. The ends of his hair was wet from the water but his face was dry. “But I won’t be doing the deep end.”

“Good idea. Going back to the shallow end, it will feel a little different walking when your arms are under the water. It might help to swing your arms to help propel yourself forward.” Kylo watched as Hux took several steps, his arms several inches away from his body, moving back and forth in a regular gait, looking casual like he was walking along a sidewalk. After a few steps he turned around, walking backwards in order to face him. “You could also do a bit of a breaststroke but that is a few steps ahead from where you are with your lessons.”

“I think I’ll stick with swinging my arms first.” Took a few steps forward without moving his arms but then resorted to the wide swing that Hux did.

Once in the waist high water Hux stopped and waited for him. “Are you ready to try some more swimming?” 

“I don’t think you’d let me say no,” Kylo admitted, biting his bottom lip.

“We can focus on your kicking and breathing before working on your stroke,” Hux reminded. 

He found himself nodding, needing something that he was capable of doing. And perhaps he could adjust his breathing now, knowing what he would need to do when trying to do the front stroke again. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

As it was they spent the class doing just that. With the kickboard in hand, moving his face to the side when needed, he focussed on breathing and kicking. With an insight he hadn’t thought of, but which Hux suggested after twenty minutes, Kylo held onto the board with his left hand, working on moving his right arm up, outstretched so his hand broke down through the surface into the water, beneath him in order to pull back through the water. It was a bit shaky, trying to keep the kickboard in position in front of him. He did find he was falling into the motions more readily, not needing to worry about controlling both arms in their staggered movements. 

“Do you want to try with your left arm now?” Hux asked, both of them at rest.

“I think I could do it.” His right arm was the stronger of the two, so he would be able to keep the kickboard in front of him more easily than with his left hand. “Can I still keep breathing, turning my head to the right?”

“It would probably be a bit awkward, because your arm will always be right in front of your mouth and nose,” Hux explained.

Twisting his lips together Kylo shrugged and relented. “I probably won’t be as good on this side.”

“You are doing good. Everyone starts out with one side stronger than the other.” With a squeeze to the arm he passed the kickboard back to Kylo, having using it to rest his forearms on. “And if you feel like it’s too much, we can stop.”

He did better than he expected, but with working one arm at a time he found his arms were lead by the time he was in the shower. It was a struggle to lift his hands to wash his hair. His whole body was heavy, ready to hit his bed as soon as he got home. It was the thought that next week, if not Monday than Tuesday, he might be swimming with both arms, that lessened the weight. He wouldn’t have to worry about dislocating his shoulders.

In amongst his sleepy thoughts, the question from last night drifted to the forefront of his mind. He stopped the lazy curl of fingers over his scalp, glancing to Hux beside him. He forced his eyes wider, trying to not look like he was already sleeping. “Mind if I ask you a question?”

Hux pursed his lips, half surprised, but he nodded. “What do you want to know?”

“When I phoned you last week, to reschedule my class, you said you had a longer day on Tuesday. At first I thought that teaching swimming was your only job but…” Kylo shrugged, took a deep breath. He didn’t want to come across as prying but the thought persisted. “Do you work a job during the day?”

“Yeah, I do.” Chuckling under his breath, Hux eyed Kylo for a second longer before glancing away. “I’m a paralegal.”

“What?” Kylo couldn’t keep himself from laughing, mostly shocked. “You are working for… what, an attorney or firm? And spending your evenings teaching swimming classes? Those are world’s apart!”

“At one point I was planning on becoming a lawyer but… that was before I started teaching, and I did have a change of heart,” Hux admitted. 

For the first time Kylo noticed Hux looked less than his usual composed self. He wasn’t blushing and he didn’t look embarrassed but he could tell Hux was holding back. “What caused the change of heart?”

Hux swept his hair back from his face, having shifted enough under the showerhead that the water had pushed it forward. “I… I am not ashamed of what happened, but it concerns what happened to lead me to take up teaching classes. Because if I did become a lawyer, I wouldn’t have time to teach and teaching… became quite important for me.”

His hair conditioner was forgotten, more interested in hearing the story. “What happened?”

“I was in university, and several of my friends – most of us of age, two were still twenty – were on a party boat drinking. I was drinking too but the big problem was the guy who was operating the boat was drinking. We got pulled over and the driver was fined. He was also getting his boating license suspended.” His shoulders slumping a fraction, Hux twisted his chin away from Kylo, chagrined. “I wasn’t behind the wheel but I felt equally to blame. Anyone of us could’ve been driving, and we’d all be at fault. I wasn’t about to take the fine but… I asked the officer how I could apply for community service.

“He told me to ask with my local authorities. After going into my nearest precinct, finding out I would need to do background check for most placements, I decided to do something I knew how to do, something related to the offence. I went to the nearest pool where I lived and asked how I could go about applying for community service, volunteering at the pool. I let them know that I was never charged with a crime but I want to do something that could help. I got retested for my swimming aptitude and seeing that I could still fulfill the duties of a lifeguard, I could volunteer with classes. And I did. After a while I decided that I could teach classes at night, and doing that, well – being a lawyer would take up too much time. Being a paralegal, I could be more flexible.”

“You are unreal,” Kylo mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. Not that he was standing beside a criminal but that Hux did what he had. “How do find enough time to teach and be a paralegal by day? That’s still a fair amount of work.”

“Some days are more stressful than others but swimming has always been my way to decompress. And let’s face it, you need to be relaxed and patient in order to teach, whether it’s swimming or teaching calculus to high school students.” Hux nearly rolled his eyes, but stopped himself, catching Kylo staring at him. “I’m not pointing the finger at you or any of the other people I’ve taught. My mornings are stressful, that’s when I find myself the busiest, but at night, after having twenty minutes to swim? I’m in a completely different state of mind. My body and mind changes. I have to be focussed to teach and… in that period before classes, I calm down. Relax. I’ve always been a water person, whether I’m swimming or listening to the rain. It soothes me.”

“Oh, you’re one of those people,” Kylo added, laughing before looking away from Hux.

Hux turned his body to look at Kylo in profile, watching him pick up his conditioner bottle. “And you don’t find you feel more relaxed after a hot shower?”

“Maybe I like cold showers.”

“No one likes cold showers,” Hux countered, huffing under his breath. It could’ve been mocking but there was a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth. Cocking his shoulders and reaching one handed out to the side, he twisted the water off, shaking his head as he walked off.

Quickly finishing his hair and soaping down his body Kylo was in the changing area less than a minute later. He would’ve started dressing, having dried himself as he walked through, but he stopped to sidle up to where Hux was dressing. “You are a good teacher. It doesn’t make a lot of sense, you could’ve had more opportunities, but I’m glad you’re teaching me. I don’t think anyone else would’ve been as patient as you with me.”

Hux pulled his shirt on, the same loose faded shirt from the previous swimming class. “You’re saying that having not had any previous teachers to compare me to.”

“I’ve had school teachers, twelve years worth of them.” Many of those years Kylo wished to forget, for various reasons, but there was no chance to change them. He grew from them, learned lessons in and out of those classrooms. “They knew their subject matters, some better than others, but they never made the effort to get to know me. They didn’t care if I mastered calculus or not.” 

“I used to teach group classes. I liked it but in some ways I knew it could’ve been better, that I should do better for the students.” Hux regarded him briefly before canting his head away, trying to muffle his words but it was too late, he said them before he made the movement. 

“I’ve come to enjoy teaching private classes the most.” 

Kylo parted his lips, about to commend his mom, but aborted the compliment. He knew it was true. The thought of group classes still made him wary but he felt confident one on one with Hux. He just couldn’t say it out loud, not when he was close enough to see the hints of steel grey in Hux’s eyes.

“You’ve done a lot to help me,” Kylo said several seconds later, pressing his lips into a shy smile. Took a couple of steps back towards his own bag. “I appreciate it.”

“That’s what I’m supposed to do.” Hux nodded to him, the corner of his mouth turning up. “And you are doing well.”

“Thanks.” Grabbing his clothes he hastened to dress, focussing his gaze on underwear then socks. Once fully dressed, somehow ready before Hux, Kylo grabbed his bag. Walked with long strides rather than hurrying to make it to the door. “See you on Monday.”

Hux began returning the same words, but Kylo heard no more after the door closed, only hearing a faint “See-”

Out of sight he picked up his pace, from the building out to the parking and into the car. He didn’t realise he slammed the car door upon throwing himself into the seat. From the door opening to the slam it took less than a second, the speed and sound jolting Rey. “Are we in a rush tonight?” Book in her lap, dropped when he entered, she didn’t bother to put it away. Rey turned the key, having never took it out of the ignition.

Hand over his mouth, he nodded. It wasn’t until she was backing up that he scratched his cheek, slowly reaching for the seatbelt. 

His brain was slowly catching up, wondering if his gaze had always lingered over Hux’s features. If Hux truly was as patient with everyone else as he was with him.

Usually sleep was when he welcomed dreams. 

Tonight he needed to sleep away these delusions.


	5. Week 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late chapter. Finding the time and mental energy to edit this chapter wasn't an easy thing. Finally everything aligned today. 
> 
> Like many a Star Wars fan I will be going to Celebration. I hope to have the next chapter out before I leave on the Thursday but I can't guarantee it.

Thoughts of swimming classes became thoughts of Hux. Walking the last block to get to work the next morning Kylo wondered where Hux worked, whether today started early or if it would be a late night. How many cases did Hux work in a week? How good did he look in a suit? He certainly knew the body underneath it was stunning in its own way.

A greeting from Phasma turned off the questions that played inside his mind. 

A glimpse of Snoke firmly repelled the vision of red hair that accompanied his thoughts. 

He wasn’t sure if he should be grateful that it was a Friday. At least it was a busy day. Aside from his lunch break he had no time to think about Hux. 

Would Hux have plans tonight? The class that he scheduled for next Friday was one thing, planned in advance, but being able to squeeze him in the previous week was unexpected. He was grateful that Hux was flexible with his schedule but was he always free Friday nights? Maybe he preferred making plans with his friends for Saturday nights.

He didn’t deign to entertain the thoughts of dates, not in the context of asking Hux out or, worse, someone else dating Hux.

He didn’t realise that those thoughts were still running rampant when Finn raised his voice to him.

Angling his gaze back towards Finn, not realising he had been staring somewhere past his shoulder, Finn was giving him a pointed look. “Do you need your drink that badly? Poe will be back soon.”

Puffing out his cheeks, Kylo quickly shook his head. “I wasn’t looking for him. I… my thoughts have been all over the place today. Work, projects, wedding.” Hux. “It must be nice that you don’t have anything pressing to tend to this weekend.”

“The only reason we had the time to go out for drinks tonight,” Finn emphasised, laughing under his breath. “No trips up north, no arrangements to be done here. Well, Sunday we’ve managed to do a brunch with a travel agent. We haven’t had time to go into her office and we want to look at cities in Europe for our honeymoon.”

“Nice! Where are you thinking of going?” He still had a few vacation days available for the year, outside of the holidays. He didn’t see himself going to Europe but it was always interesting hearing about other people’s destinations.

“We want to visit London and Paris. If we can arrange flights or trains, we would like to visit another city,” Finn explained.

“Brussels or Amsterdam.” Poe arrived in time to add to the conversation. He set down the beer bottles he’d been carrying. “We don’t imagine we can squeeze in both. We’ll find out about the cities, the attractions, and decide from there.”

“Travelling between the three countries wouldn’t take too long either, so more time for sight-seeing too,” Kylo commented once they were all seated. Poe was the first to raise his bottle, all of them clinking in together. 

“That’s the plan,” Poe said after setting his bottle down, whetting his lips clean. “What will you be doing this weekend?”

“Probably the usual.” He did have his speech but whether he worked on it was a different matter. “My mom wants to get together for dinner, which we haven’t decided if that will be on Monday or Wednesday.”

“She’s probably trying to wine and dine you into housekeeping duties post-wedding,” Poe commented, grinning toothily. 

Kylo was about to ask what he meant but Finn shook his head, trying to fight his own smile. “Leia originally told us she could probably get four cottages on the lake available for guests, and she did. She just needs to provide linens and towels since she can’t use the items that those families own. Her plan, as she told us, is to get the right number of towels and bedsheets for each cottage. Han’s in charge of one, she’ll buy for one, and you and Rey each get one. Along with the cleaning duties when everyone leaves the following day.”

“Bedrooms – and washrooms.” Poe waggled his eyebrows then smirked around the rim of his bottle. “Let’s hope you don’t get the cottage where anyone has over-consumed and proceeded to soil the rooms.”

Kylo cringed at the image Poe laid out for him. “At least I’m only in charge of one cottage. Bedrooms, toilets and kitchen won’t be too bad. It’s less rooms than I have to worry about at my place. And the kitchen should be lightly used, since everyone is coming back to my mom’s place for breakfast.”

“Most people are. There are a few guests who have to leave early,” Finn mentioned, dragging his thumb along the neck of his bottle.

“Will they be driving themselves back, or are they your family – or the friends?” Kylo asked.

“Two are sharing a taxi to the airport but the other is a friend who’ll be driving back,” Poe explained with a nod. “That’s already organized. Between Rose and my parents, they’ll be driving the rest to the airport for later flights.”

The bar got noisier later into the night but at their booth the conversation kept steady, in volume and topics. Kylo humoured the few questions he got about his swimming classes, doing his best to divert them onto anything else. Two more rounds later they were heading to their separate homes.

Kylo could’ve started walking but waited to wave goodbye to Poe and Finn when they were in the back of their Uber. 

Mind and body relaxed he never bothered phoning for a drive back to his place. At a brisker pace he could’ve been back in just over a half hour but it was closer to forty-five minutes. The pleasant weather and his idle thoughts were enough to convince him that he was in no rush.

Falling back first into bed, skin tingling and ears faintly ringing, his eyes slowly slid shut. 

His chest clenched when he first heard the phantom lapping of water. His dreaming mind didn’t envision the rich shade of blue of the lake, or the black-blue of sinking deeper below the surface. It was a pale blue, almost white, which he recognised to be the shallow end of the pool.

Relaxing into the familiar warmth of the water he first felt hands smooth up his back. A squeeze to his shoulders which he associated with reassurance and a patient face. 

Yet once he was floating on his back, Hux drifting into view at his side, he couldn’t explain why those hands were settled around his waist, toying with the waistband. The angle was all wrong.

Kylo didn’t argue it when his swim-shorts were rucked down. 

*

Kylo spent the weekend in a daze. Saturday he stared at his notepad for over an hour, eventually tossing it aside, the pages still blank. He spent the rest of the day cleaning house, arguing he was practising for cleaning the cottage in three weeks.

Sunday was a blur. He remembered going out on his Sunday jog, hoping to clear the Saturday fog from his brain. Thinking that reading would help to give him inspiration he finished the book Rey loaned him. Spent half an hour with his pencil pressed to paper before putting it away. Rather than sulk at home, stew at his inability to work on one task, he went out to a movie. 

He struggled to even pay attention to the movie. It didn’t help that after leaving the house, his fingers strayed twice towards his phone, about to invite Hux to come with him.

“Phasma?”

“Yes?” She turned around from the coffee machine, her own cup of coffee hot and steaming where she held it between her hands. She stepped away from the machine, expecting him to claim his turn with the pot. She had to take another step to the side when he continued to the tea kettle. 

Once he had filled it with water and turned it on, he properly gave her his attention. Hoped that his hair didn’t show how much he’d been running his hands through it. “Have you ever been in the situation where you have to talk yourself out of asking someone out on a date?”

“Can’t say I have.” Taking a sip of her coffee she eyed him again. Kylo knew she had good reason to regard him suspiciously. He was not well-rested, his question was an odd one, and he decided that his hair was definitely standing out to both sides. “Is the person already spoken for?”

“I don’t know.” Kylo didn’t want to ask Hux. He suspected Hux couldn’t be dating anyone. Who would like their significant other to spend two nights a week teaching classes when they could be at home with them? Or out on a date. And that wasn’t the only issue. “But there are other reasons why it would be inappropriate for me to ask him out.”

Phasma smiled faintly but pressed one hand to his shoulder. Her fingers were warm from having held her coffee but weren’t the right length or shape to settle his nerves. They needed to be slimmer, slightly wrinkled from spending over an hour in the water.

“Might it be easier to ask him out in a few weeks?” she asked.

“Not unless you want to be looking at this-” With a sharp downward motion of his hand he indicated the impossible hair and the dark rings under his eyes. There was nothing wrong with the length of his torso but he flung his hand out at waist height, barely avoiding hitting his hand against the counter. “For the next few weeks. And dealing with the frazzled brain that goes with it.”

The kettle whistled. Kylo reached up into the cupboard for the office share of teabags. “Please tell me you’re going decaffeinated,” Phasma remarked. 

“Nope.” Kylo grabbed two bags of black tea. “I got only four hours of sleep last night. It doesn’t help that I can’t think of a bloody thing to write for my best friend’s wedding. I had been honoured to be his Best Man. For three seconds before I remembered I would have to do a speech.”

Phasma tilted her chin up in consideration. “Congratulations on the wedding. You can now shag in wedded bliss.”

“I’m trying to say something that goes beyond sex.” And trying to avoid thinking of sex to avoid more surprise dreams concerning him and Hux. “And I’ve got a blank.”

It wasn’t blanks that he found on Saturday morning in his bedsheets.

“I guess I won’t be writing your wedding speech then.” Her expression was anything but apologetic. He nearly laughed but only shook his head, weary and desperate for any kind of inspiration.

The extra strong tea got him through the rest of the day. Once he got home it had worn off enough that he was going through the familiar motions of an easy dinner that he could cook with his eyes shut. He managed to stay up for a few more hours, not wanting to completely destroy his sleeping schedule for the whole week. 

Tuesday and well-rested, he looked more like his usual self at work. Phasma greeted him with a nod and a curious arch of her eyebrows. He didn’t know what was on her mind until she mouthed a single word. 

‘Sex?’

Huffing under his breath he shook his head, smirking when she grinned and picked up a folder from the secretary’s desk.

The cracks in his armour started to show when the afternoon winded to an end. How well he’d be able to hold himself together when he saw Hux was uncertain. Thursday he had to beat a hasty retreat and after his Saturday morning surprise he was convinced he wouldn’t be able to stay calm for long, if at all. 

His doubts left him jittery on the drive to the pool. Twice he was sure Rey was going to ask him what was wrong but she stayed quiet. She was probably expecting the same silent treatment he gave her on Thursday.

He lingered by the door, watching Hux swim towards the deep-end. Before he reached the edge he started to curl into a ball. He could just make out the bend of his legs, Hux’s head disappearing into the water. 

He couldn’t see what happened when Hux full dipped his body underwater. His feet vanished last and he saw the rush of water when Hux resurfaced several feet away, swimming just as hard as he came to the wall. 

It was just shock, the alarm of Hux being underwater, that had his stomach fluttering. Not the consideration of what those slim legs and arms could do with that kind of power. 

“Do you want to jump in?” Hux called. He had stopped his laps around the vicinity of the lifeguard chair, where Kylo had jumped into the water last time.

“Sure, why not.” Hoping he sounded casual Kylo made his way over, willing his stomach to settle. 

Once he was in the pool he told himself that it was the right thing that Hux gave him enough room. There was no need to be disappointed that Hux was an arm’s length away. 

“Perfect.” Hux’s smile should’ve been reassuring but Kylo didn’t know how to react. His stomach had one idea but his brain was telling him it was a bad idea. “So it’s been a few days since you were working on your front stroke last. Do you want to do a few laps with the kickboard or do you want to try the front stroke without the kickboard?”

“Kickboard.” The kickboard would take up some space between them. And chances were Kylo would need some bodily help with the front stroke. He might be able to calm down a bit before Hux’s hands were on him. Hopefully.

Several laps later and Kylo stopped with a smile, taking Hux’s compliments happily. “You’ve still got it. Are you ready to try the front stroke?” 

“I feel ready.” Hux might’ve been right about finding the water relaxing. Focussing on the swimming, and confident in his strokes, his mind and body had settled. He set the kickboard on the deck. Hux took a step back when he stretched out with one arm. One half of the stroke. Breathed when his arm was back far enough, his other arm reaching forward. Hux kept moving backwards while he swam, always out of reach for his arms, moving faster with every surge of confidence and accompanying kicks. The last thing on his mind was thinking about Hux’s body or how he behaved towards him.

His shoulders were up, straight and proud, when he leaned back against the side of the pool. He’d done four laps and felt like he could keep going. “I feel like I could actually do this at the lake.”

“You did a great job,” Hux agreed, watching him with an easy smile. “You don’t feel tired or sore?”

“Not at all.” A shake of his head had his hair sticking to his cheek, which he peeled back. “I feel like I could keep on swimming.”

“Do you want to try the front stroke down around the lifeguard chair? You’ll still be able to stop and reach the ground if you need to.”

“I could probably do that.” He didn’t think he was ready to try swimming in the deep end like Hux did before class, not within six weeks, but this was within the parameters that they spoke about when they had been seated at the front desk all those weeks ago.

Hux brought the kickboard with them to the deeper area but Kylo managed to do several laps without needing it. In fact Hux was slightly out deeper, giving him all the space he needed to swim without needing to dodge his arms. Kylo stopped in the middle of the pool, turning to look to Hux. He knew Hux didn’t need the kickboard when he saw the funny leg movement that he was doing. It looked like an eggbeater, to which Kylo realised he was treading water. It took him a few seconds to remember the phrase and a half beat to quickly decide he wasn’t about to try that himself. 

“Is it hard?” He still had to ask, watching Hux tread water effortlessly. Kylo circled his toes along the floor of the pool. 

“Hmm?” When Kylo nodded in Hux’s direction he changed his hum to a nod, catching on. “Learning anything new is expected to be hard. How easily you catch on is a different matter. You could learn it easily. Do you want to try it now?”

Kylo hesitated for a moment. “I want to learn it at some point, but not today.”

“That’s understandable. We can work on your front stroke, if you feel like you need to. Or we can try your backstroke,” Hux offered, kicking in closer until he had his feet down on the bottom of the pool.

With the two offers Kylo didn’t need to reconsider. “Backstroke. I want to start working on that.”

They didn’t quite make it all the way back to where Kylo usually did his laps. Hux eased him to a stop when they were both up to their chests in the water. “I know you wanted to try the backstroke before the front stroke. And this may be easier to proceed with, considering you don’t need to worry about moving your arms to time your breathing. It’s just a matter of making sure you’re comfortable, and using your arms to guarantee that you are not too close to the edges of the pool.”

“I think I can do that.” As a teenager, before he was fully coordinated with too long limbs in comparison to the rest of his build, Kylo would have had his doubts about swimming on his back. Right now, feeling even more confident having done as well as he did with the front stroke, he felt ready.

“Just ease yourself down and back,” Hux coached. 

Hux’s calm voice and his own confidence had him following the instructions. Until he felt the hands supporting his back, gliding up to his shoulders. Tensing when he felt the familiar squeeze. 

“Are you alright?” Hux moved a little bit closer, angling his head forward to meet his eyes. His gaze was concerned. “You feel tense. Do you need me to stop?” 

Hux moved to his side, switching hands so one hand remained on his shoulder.

Kylo flinched and splashed to an upright position, backing away. 

Stomach clenching, wanting and yet backing away from Hux’s reach, Kylo waited for the lump in his throat to ease. “I… I need to stop.” 

“Okay.” Hux frowned when he continued stepping back. “Do you need to sit down? We can sit on the stairs.”

Nodding Kylo moved towards the stairs, swallowing thickly when he finally lowered himself down. Shifted up to the next step when Hux sat down beside him.

He didn’t miss the way Hux’s jaw tensed or the deep breath he took, looking steadily out to the water. Kylo sensed he would’ve glanced up to him but instead he waited several seconds. “What happened Kylo?” he asked slowly.

Kylo didn’t look down. Stared out like Hux was. 

He wanted Hux to touch him. He wanted to touch Hux.

“I tensed up?” Kylo shrugged, bit his lip. He could start out with the truth but he couldn’t say why. “Maybe… It is easier to look forward, to see what is around me. Looking up, at the ceiling, there’s less certainty. I don’t know how close I could be to the sides of the pool.”

“I can understand that.” Kylo could hear the gentling of his voice. Relaxed a fraction. 

Yet he knew that he didn’t answer the question of why he kept walking away from Hux. “And… and maybe it would’ve been easier to try it while we were in more shallow water,” Kylo suggested, cringing, safe since Hux wasn’t looking at him.

“Okay.” Hux nodded. He could see the edge of his shoulder lowering. “I’ll remember that for next time.”

Kylo watched water bead down onto his arm, trickling along the curvature of slim muscle. 

His fingers itched to catch the droplets, to touch along Hux’s arm and shoulder like he did for him.

Kylo curled his fingers tight, working his nails into his palms. “Can we call it an early night?”

Hux startled, looking up to him worryingly. “Are you feeling alright?” Eyes took in his face quickly. “You look… are you sick?”

Kylo’s whole face was hot, could imagine that was what concerned Hux. “I didn’t sleep well last night. I’m guessing I’m just… it’s catching up now. Sore and shaky and…”

Ten minutes ago he was fine, and considering the way Hux was scrutinizing him, he was aware of that too.

“Yeah, sure.” Hux stayed seated even though Kylo got up, turned to leave the pool. He thought Hux would’ve stayed in the pool but just when he was at the door to the changeroom Hux called after him. “Kylo, wait.” Following him, coming up behind him but not touching, Hux pushed the door open. “Just want to keep an eye on you. You’re not well and I’d like to make sure you don’t have an accident in here.”

“You don’t have to do that for me,” Kylo insisted, feeling worse for trying to escape.

“I’m the only one here, and I do have a responsibility towards you,” Hux reminded, smiling faintly.

They showered in silence and though Hux was eying him from time to time Kylo didn’t look back.

Seated beside Rey, driving out of the parking lot, Rey eyed him suspiciously. She certainly hadn’t expected him to be out a half hour after the class began. “You don’t look well. Are you feeling sick?”

“Mostly tired. And nauseous because of it.” He glanced to the rear-view mirror, wondering if Hux’s car was pulling out of his spot yet. It was still there. The lights weren’t even on. Hux might’ve still be in the changeroom. 

“What’s going to happen to your lesson? Will you have a longer class on Friday?” Rey asked.

“I didn’t stop to ask. Maybe?” Kylo shook his head, pressing his cheek against his headrest, looking out the window.

“I’ll need to know, I’ll have to let your mom know that I’ll be late in returning her car.”

Kylo nodded silently, ignoring the roiling in his stomach. He did feel sick, with shame for lying to Hux and Rey.

*

“I heard that you weren’t feeling well last night.” 

“I was overtired last night, I only got four hours of sleep.” Kylo would’ve felt bad for telling a lie to his mom but he decided that telling the real events concerning Monday was close enough to the truth. She didn’t need to know which day he was talking about. “I drank a double strength tea to get through the workday and since I was doing well I thought I’d be okay at swimming class. Nine o’clock at night, my body was telling me otherwise.”

“You’re feeling better now?” Leia asked, looking him over from across the table.

“I just needed a good night’s sleep, and I got that.” He took a long sip of his water. He had considered splitting a bottle of wine with his mom but didn’t want to make his sleeping patterns worse. It also helped that he was driving. “I’m feeling much better.

“And aside from last night, your classes have been going well?” She set down her glass, studying him. As a kid she could read through his lies, and with the right kind of question nowadays she usually hit close to the truth. “You get along with your teacher?”

“Of course.” She didn’t need to know just how well. He took a sip of his tea, smiled faintly. “I was afraid I upset him last night when I needed to leave early but Hux was understanding.” 

She didn’t look fully convinced but relented. “That’s good to hear. Will you be making up the missed time at your next class?”

“I haven’t found out yet. I could phone him but I’ll wait until we’re at the pool.” Kylo also had his doubts whether he’d be stumbling over his words in a phone call. Not that he felt he’d hold up better when they saw each other again. 

“I always thought you learned how to swim from Poe and his friends when you were all kids.” She sighed, lips tight with regret. “Han and I should’ve signed you up for swimming when you were little. Not that we did a lot of swimming back then, as a family, but by the time you were going to the pool with Poe I just assumed.”

“I followed him. He was my best friend back then, he still is.” Kylo set his mug down, latching onto her fingers, something he often did when he was little. “It was never your fault. Back then, last month – but I do owe you the money. I can write you a cheque and give it to you on Friday.” 

“I’d say buy me dinner tonight but that’s my favour, to persuade you into doing housekeeping duties after the wedding.” With a swat at his fingers and a hint of a smile the mood lightened a little. She leaned back in her chair, appraising him. “But you don’t look surprised.”

“Poe and Finn gave me the heads up on that,” Kylo admitted with a grin. He latched onto his mug, enjoying the scent of the chamomile before taking another sip. “Just let me know how many towels I need to buy for the cottage in question. And what size bedsheets I need to look for.”

“I’ve got the list right in my purse.” She pulled it out, alongside her wallet. Finished off her wine with a longer sip, conveniently just as their waiter came along. She had her credit card ready as soon as he presented the portable pay-pad. “I’m sure Rey will want to do her shopping with you. I can’t imagine she’ll want to lug three bed’s worth of sheets in addition to towels on the bus.”

Leaving the dregs of his tea behind Kylo stood up before his mom did. She never wanted to take his arm but he always made sure to walk more slowly so they could walk side by side. “She drives me to my swimming classes and I drive her everywhere else. I don’t know if I would call that an equal trade but I won’t argue it. It works.” 

Conversation had prolonged their dinner out. Diners had come and gone and the parking lot had significantly less cars. “You had a lot of experience driving her around when you two were younger. She gets to return the favour this time,” she countered.

“For a few more weeks,” Kylo agreed, unlocking their doors with his key fob. 

Friday night he was getting into his mom’s car, Rey at the wheel. It indeed was becoming so much of a routine, expecting her to come by his place two nights a week. He knew she couldn’t be enjoying it that much, especially on yet another Friday night. She didn’t having swimming classes she had to attend to, she could’ve been out with any one of her friends but here she was, pulling out a book and settling in for a seventy-five minute wait – maybe longer. He still didn’t know what Hux had planned.

Kylo came out to the edge of the pool, not sitting on the steps like he used to. Exercising great precaution he lowered himself to sit on the tiled floor, putting his legs into the water over the side of the pool. It gave him a slightly closer perspective to watch Hux swim, not sitting at the furthest point away from Hux. He did have to twist his head but Hux made it look effortless as usual. Cutting through the water fast and yet smoothly. 

Kylo frowned when Hux swam to the shallow end, standing up with tense shoulders. His laps hadn’t entirely relaxed him. 

He quickly understood why. “Are you feeling better tonight?” Hux asked, regarding him. His hair wasn’t smoothed back into its normal place, some pieces of hair hanging into his eyes. It didn’t hinder the scrutinizing stare to which Kylo nodded in response. “Are you sure about that?” 

Kylo didn’t like the edge to Hux’s voice. Kylo had never heard anything but soothing tones before now. “Of course, I’m feeling better.” Guilty for still being attracted to his own swimming teacher but physically fine.

“Well, for your sake, I didn’t tell your mom what happened Tuesday night,” Hux remarked. His arms remained at his sides but a twitch of his cheek showed just how agitated he was. “She doesn’t need to know that you were quite fine at the beginning of class. How confident and strong you were at doing your front stroke. You can lie to me as much as you want to but I’m not going to lie to your mom again.” 

Was that why his mom had doubted his explanation at the restaurant? Paling and clenching his jaw, he shook his head hard. “No, I understand. I’m sorry,” Kylo mumbled, looking away from Hux.

“I’m not planning on making this lesson longer than an hour. If your mom wants to negotiate to get her wasted money she can come straight to me,” Hux continued, pursing his lips. “We can work on what you’re comfortable with. You were doing well with the front stroke so we can do that if that’s what you want to do.”

His previous class he had been alarmed by the similarities of having Hux by his side, just like he had been in his dream from last week. It would be best for both of them to keep that vision from happening. “Front strokes works.” Inwardly scolding himself for messing up the whole situation, not just with his mom but with Hux who didn’t look to be settling down quite yet, he did something he hadn’t done yet. Bracing his hands on the side of the pool he lowered his feet further into the water, sliding his body in until his soles hit the ground of the pool. He didn’t look at Hux directly, hazarding a glimpse from the corner of his eye. “I’m-”

His apology was cut off when Hux dipped his chin, the sharp features of his face looking blurred under the lights, water shining along his cheeks. “What did I do, Tuesday, to upset you?” On anyone else the question could’ve been apologetic but it sounded harsh to Kylo’s ears. Pained and guilty, making Kylo freeze up, shoulders tight like Hux’s. “I obviously drove you away-”

“No!” It was a good thing no one else was at the pool to hear his shout. He started himself with it. “You didn’t do anything.”

“I’m your teacher, if I’m doing something to upset you enough that you’re ready to leave the pool forty minutes early, I should know. This is your class, this concerns your comfort level. I need to know if I’m doing something wrong,” Hux insisted, moving closer to him like he could drive his point properly. His gaze softened a little but remained contrite without shying away, moving in the direction that Kylo tried to evade him by twisting towards. Hux sighed when he realised that he wasn’t helping the situation and took a step back, but still tried to meet his eyes. “Please let me know.”

“It wasn’t your doing.” Cheeks and eyes burning Kylo looked up to the ceiling, wishing for an answer that would satisfy but not reveal his own heart. “I… my thoughts, I had a very long day, and I wasn’t so much tired but several things came together, without you saying or doing anything and… I froze up. Nothing you did was in the wrong.”

Hux didn’t look convinced but his silence was better than his persistence. “And you are sure, that won’t be a problem tonight?”

“Absolutely.” Exhaling shakily Kylo nodded, meeting Hux’s eyes on the second downward movement of his chin. “I mean, I’m feeling flustered right now, but give me a few minutes and I should be okay.”

“Okay.” Pursing his lips again Hux glanced further down the side of the pool. “I do have the kickboard on hand, even though you were doing strong with your front stroke. We can start out slowly, with something you’re fully comfortable with. Let yourself relax into the familiarity. Then move onto the front stroke?”

“Yeah, that would probably be best.” Sliding his hand over his mouth, then curling it back, pulling on his hair lightly, Kylo nodded, shuffled awkwardly through the water towards where the kickboard was located. 

Aside from the initial tension the class went well, but quietly. The only time Hux spoke up was to ask how Kylo was feeling, not wanting to rush anything. Kylo spent longer than he planned just kicking along, holding onto the board. Swam leisurely when he was doing his front stroke. Hux kept out of his way as a precaution, but within reach if anything was needed. 

He missed the touches that Hux often brushed against his back, silent encouragement and congratulations for syncing his movements, keeping a steady breath. Yet he told himself that it was for the best. Taking an easy class was perhaps exactly what he needed. He didn’t need to overreact to Hux’s proximity. Let his mind stay settled over the weekend so he’d be prepared for Tuesday.

Few words were exchanged in the time that they left the pool for the changeroom. Kylo showered quickly, not intending to keep Rey longer than needed, dressed by the time that Hux was walking by, towel low on his waist. Kylo snapped his gaze back to his bag, zipping it shut. 

“See you next week,” he said, twisting to face Hux when he noticed that he had his sweatpants on.

“Yeah.” Hux nodded towards him, giving him a bit of a smile.

It was a short distance from the changeroom door to the door leading outside to the parking lot. He covered the space with three easy strides, pushing the door open, only to sway to a stop.

Hux’s car was all alone. Rey was gone. He couldn’t hear any other car. Didn’t see taillights on the road beyond. 

Opening his bag he rummaged for his cellphone. There was one text message, left by Rey.

_Got a text from Rose. I need to save her from a shitty date._

He jolted when the doors opened behind him, hearing the jingle of a keychain as the door was locked.

Hux schooled his surprise upon seeing he was still in the parking lot. “You’re still here? Where is Rey?” 

“She had to save a friend from a bad date.” Kylo reluctantly turned around, thumb peeling back a bit from his phone. He could easily phone for an Uber, and perhaps that was his safest option, when facing Hux. 

“I can drive you home,” Hux offered, gesturing to his car with his head. “It’s better than having to pay for a taxi.”

“You don’t have to do that.” Their time in the pool had been tense, before backpedalling so quickly that they were polite but distant. Kylo didn’t want to know what would happen in the cramped quarters of a car. “I can phone Poe to pick me up.”

“Your mom has already paid me for the classes. Consider this making up for an incomplete class. It’s the least I can do,” Hux reasoned. 

It was a valid point. Kylo walked a few steps behind Hux towards his car, waiting by the passenger door. “Are you sure? I don’t want to make you drive out of your way.”

“It’s not a problem.” 

Fortunately to drive to Kylo’s place did involve going in the direction that Hux would’ve taken, just not as far east as Hux, and a little bit south. Kylo settled into the seat, giving Hux directions when needed. When he wasn’t he gazed out the window, eyes heavy as they switched from the front out to his side window. He spent most of his time looking forward, since it allowed him to watch Hux from the corner of his eye.

Their silence was mostly comfortable. Kylo couldn’t not think about how his class begun, the way that Hux had questioned him, concerned but resolute. Having known him to only be patient and comforting it was alright to see a different side of him, and that they had managed to make a tentative peace, even if it was based on Kylo’s lies. It was for the best. He didn’t want Hux to react worse had Kylo admitted that he liked him. It seemed like they were friends but thinking about Hux as a crush had his stomach roiling. 

“Something is on your mind,” Hux commented later on. “What is it?”

Kylo resisted the urge to shift guiltily. “It’s nothing.” 

“I’m not convinced. We’ve had pretty comfortable conversations during classes, but now we can’t?” There was a pause, perhaps Hux catching onto an idea as to why. “Have I said something to upset you?”

“I assure you, you didn’t.” Kylo looked over to Hux quickly, found his gaze on him for a second before glancing back to the road. The streetlights they passed lit his face at angles, at once strange but also beautiful. His hair glowed where it hung around his face, lips shapely and parted. 

“Then what is it?” Hux asked. 

If Hux was frustrated he was hiding it well, sounding only worried. “It’s…” Stretching for any kind of excuse, his eyes widened. Of course. “The wedding.”

“I thought it was mostly organized.”

Kylo shook his head, laughing helplessly under his breath, desperate and needing to elaborate “I have… I have a speech to do and I have no idea how to start. I’ve written nothing and I… I don’t know what to say. How to express the sentiment that I love Poe and want them to have the happiest life together.”

Come to think of it, both the speech and Hux problem had to do with the feelings that he had in him, but unable to speak or share openly. 

“Some people are natural speakers.” An expression passed over Hux’s features, pinched but somehow humoured. “It took me a long time to feel comfortable speaking with people. Some subjects I still am horrible at but my dad… he liked me the best when I said nothing, and he told me that on several occasions. Be seen but not heard. My teachers, up through to grade eight, always remarked on my report cards that I was a smart kid. Followed the lessons and did the projects perfectly. But I was too quiet, I needed to share in class. It helped that I didn’t have many friends, I only had one friend until high school.”

Kylo smiled faintly, glancing over to Hux. “That sounds like me. Poe was my best friend and it wasn’t until grade nine that I started hanging out with other people.”

“I didn’t have a best friend but my lone friend moved out town. I was all on my own in high school. I started out just focussed on my courses but… somehow, things got better.” Hux cocked his head a little, eyes darting across to him before righting again to the road. “My dad continued being a jerk, but there were more things I could do with my time. New people from other feeder schools. And… my first crush. Typical teenager things.”

Kylo was glad he wasn’t looking at him, to see the flush that brushed his cheeks. Crush. He certainly felt like a kid all over again, nervous and unable to talk. “Aren’t we lucky to no longer have to worry about things like that?”

“It wasn’t all bad.” His face had relaxed while speaking about his school but a faint smile ghosted over his eyes. “But I’m happy where I am now.”

Kylo was too distracted that he nearly missed the street he had to indicate Hux had to turn left onto. 

In a few more minutes Hux stopped at the curb in front of his building. Kylo expected him to keep the car idling but he turned it off. “Thanks for driving me home,” Kylo said, undoing his seatbelt. 

“Anytime.” Hux twisted in his seat, nodded a couple of seconds later. “I mean that. If Rey needs to leave early I can drive you home. I can drive you home from all your classes.”

“She would appreciate that.” Not to mention he liked the idea, having enjoyed the conversation they settled into near the end. “I’ll let her know that.”

He should’ve been reaching for the door, or his bag between his feet. The shift in his body went neither direction. Hux’s cheeks were moving, faintly, seeming to suggest a smile, and it drew him in closer. He didn’t realise how close until he had steadied himself with a hand on the console. 

They were only inches apart. Close enough to see faint freckles around Hux’s temples. He lifted his hand, wanting to twist Hux’s cheek towards him for a better look.

Seeing his fingers hover over Hux’s jaw, subconscious thoughts brushing against reality, he recoiled. 

Opening the door and grabbing his bag at the time same time, arms outstretched, he thrust his feet out to the sidewalk, dashing for the front stairs. He continued the run up to his floor, making it in short time. 

Had he looked out the window he would’ve seen Hux still parked, only just then reaching for the open door to shut it. Instead, once he set foot in his apartment, Kylo walked straight for the couch, dropping down with the weight of shame on his shoulders. 

A few metres away the window gave a perfect view of the car pulling away from the curb.


	6. Week 5

“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“I recommend writing something down. One word works. More words would be even better.”

Kylo glared out from between his white knuckles, fingers tight in his hair. His notepad, incriminating as always, laid blank in front of him. To his lack of surprise Rose didn’t look intimidated. 

He was grateful that she didn’t chide him any further. Instead she placed her menu down and folded her arms over it. “What kind of sentiment are you trying to put across in your speech? Have you considered that yet?” 

It was a choked off laugh that verged on a cry that escaped his lips. “I wish I was talking about my speech,” Kylo admitted, loosening his hands long enough to slide his fingers to the back of his head.

Staring down at his menu, a bare inch away from his nose, he heard Rose more than saw her. “Does this have anything to do with the wedding?”

His sigh was loud enough that menu and table didn’t smother it. “No.”

“Oh come on, wake up! You had your morning run, you have no excuse to be tired,” Rey chastised. Kylo groaned again when she took the spare menu that was waiting for her in hand, swatting his hands and head before sitting down. She took the seat beside Rose, shaking her head when he gave her a darker look than the one he gave Rose, not that she had seen it for looking for a parking spot.

“I’m not tired,” Kylo insisted, even though running his hand across his eyes made them bleary. He tried working on his speech last night but between lack of ideas, and silently ridiculing himself for yet another Hux fuck up, he was mentally exhausted. “I’m just… tired of not knowing what to do with this damn speech. I hate talking in front of large crowds.”

Rey almost smiled, but shook her head. “The wedding is small, you’ll know most of the people there.”

“I hate public speaking,” Kylo added. 

“A lot of people do,” Rose agreed, watching him sympathetically. “People either love it or hate it. It comes naturally or it doesn’t.”

Her words harkened back to the conversation he had with Hux, making his chest ache. “And this speech… is for my best friend. I don’t want to ruin his big day by saying the wrong thing.”

“That’s why we’re here,” Rey reminded, setting her menu down. “I knew there was a strong possibility that you hadn’t started your speech, so not only was this a check in but also our chance to help you.”

“Can’t you just write the speech for me?” Once upon a time Rey would turn puppy eyes on him, a trick that she learned from him, using the puppy eyes on his dad or Poe. Now the tables were turned and he was using those big eyes on her. “You have such a better handle on this.”

“They would know that you didn’t write it, and they don’t need two speeches from me. We’ll get through this today, if not the whole speech then at least get some concrete ideas down.” A waitress approached their table, notepad at the ready to take their order. “We will have you sounding like yourself, just a better-spoken version.”

Kylo nearly scowled but grit his teeth together. “I’d throw salt at you but I do need your help.” 

To Rey’s credit, and some input from Rose, they did put together an outline for his speech over their breakfast slash writing session. He had no interest in doing a long speech, and with the memories and sentiments he wanted to share with the small gathering of friends and family, he could work his way to a manageable two-minute speech. It kept him occupied for the weekend, building and fleshing it out by Sunday night.

He had one weight off his chest by Monday morning.

The dread that occupied his heart Tuesday had more to do with his return to the pool. He had managed to forget about it since Saturday morning but when the workday finished he kept fumbling for any reason to not go to his swimming class. 

Rey honking from the street below his apartment was unignorable. Her questions as to why he didn’t want to go would be unrelenting so with heavy feet he made his way downstairs, holding his bag tight.

He took longer than normal getting ready in the change room despite knowing there was no point in delaying. Hux would come inside if needed. Taking a deep breath, willing in vain for his pulse to stop hammering, he ventured out to the pool.

It couldn’t be a good sign that Hux wasn’t in the pool. He was a few metres away from the door, leaning against the wall. On anyone else it could’ve been casual but he jerked his gaze away from him, looking to the pool. 

He had been waiting.

It took several seconds before Hux eased his gaze back, trying to appear calm. Yet the words that followed weren’t, spoken lowly but firm. “We need to talk.”

Throat tight Kylo could only nod. He knew he should approach Hux but his whole body was shutting down, panic not unlike drowning taking over his body. His instinct to fight free, to find safety in the change room, to say anything, vanished from his body, air sucked out of his lungs. 

He caught a flicker of exasperation cross his features before Hux stepped closer. He didn’t step into his personal space, which Kylo appreciated. It was one thing when Hux was touching his arm or back in the pool. He was showing him how to move his body to swim. It was a lifeline for so many reasons. He was afloat, safe. He had someone to trust. Gentle but capable hands that showed him what to do but also soothing him deeper than he ever thought possible.

He couldn’t enjoy that anymore, not without shame consuming him. He wanted to reach back, to express gratitude, but also to find out where else those freckles adorned Hux’s body. 

“You and I, we had an agreement. One that I thought you would always be upfront with. If I at any time made you uncomfortable, you would let me know,” Hux began, face smoothing out. Hesitated before pursing his lips. “I would trust myself better if you could be honest with me. You are not comfortable with me. You are making it more and more obvious with every class we’ve had for the past two weeks. I made an agreement to teach you how to swim but I can’t do that, not without feeling like I’ve done something wrong. I’ve spoken to several other swimming teachers, explained to them how far along with the lessons you are. I am going to exchange the money for the next two weeks with them, they will take over as your teacher. I am not going to dissatisfy your mother-”

“No.” Kylo forced the protest out, hating how weak his voice sounded. His eyes and face were hot, tears at the ready, not just in embarrassment but hearing the wrong assumptions Hux had made of him. “You’re right, I haven’t been honest, but I promise you, you haven’t done anything wrong.”

“I don’t believe you when you’re making it obvious you don’t want to be near me. And the crazy part is I thought we had been getting along.” Hux shook his head, to which Kylo belatedly realised his hair was gelled back, or at least mostly. A few loose strands curled over his forehead, as though he’d been running his fingers through it. Like he had done to his own hair over the weekend, distraught. “I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what I’ve… what has gone wrong.”

Closing his eyes, swallowing back the urge to sob, Kylo shook his head. “I can’t…”

“Kylo, I’m not a mind reader.” There was an edge of desperation to Hux’s voice. Had Hux been a little louder Kylo would’ve described it as frustrated but to his ears it sounded more like a plea. “Let me know. Something, anything that is the truth of this situation. If I can fix it, I’ll do what it takes, but otherwise I’m going to have to ask someone else to step in and take my place.”

“No.” Pushing himself forward, both lifting his voice from a whisper and reaching for Hux’s wrist, Kylo opened his eyes. He couldn’t look directly at Hux but tried to, his gaze landing on one finely shaped cheekbone. “This is something I need to fix. I… I don’t trust myself. You’ve been here, being an incredible, patient teacher with me and I’ve mistook your intentions. I am…” Laughing, feeling tears beading at the corners of his eyes, he shrugged with the arm he held onto Hux. “I’ve found myself in over my head. I love being close to you, but as soon as I realise it, I pull away as fast as I can. There are things that I want that are just inappropriate under the circumstances. It’ll be so much easier when the classes are over, when I can forget about you.”

He hoped he could forget about Hux, but now that he had his fingers around Hux’s wrist, unconsciously stroking his thumb over the inside of his arm, he doubted he could. Matching the soft skin with his name and pretty face, it looked impossible. He let go of Hux as though it would hasten the process but didn’t count on Hux stepping closer. Hux started reaching for him but held his fingers back, curling them into a loose fist.

“If it’s not what you want, that’s one thing.” Hux regarded him, trying to read past the tension and guarded look he was giving Hux back. “If you are looking for my permission, I can assure you, I don’t want you to keep your distance from me.”

“I can’t imagine this is the kind of thing that happens between… teacher and student. It shouldn’t be,” Kylo insisted, shaking his head.

“We’re grown adults.” Hux waited for any last protests, or maybe a change of heart, but Kylo kept silent. He shouldn’t have felt bad when he saw Hux deflate. He knew this was for the best. “Okay.” It took a few more seconds for Hux to move, walking towards the pool. “In the pool. We’ve got a class to do.”

The overhead lights blinded his vision but he didn’t look away. He could hear Hux from the side, instructing him verbally. It was familiar words and instructions without the physical direction he’d grown accustomed to. He already knew how to float on his back. The backstroke wasn’t that different from what he already knew, arms reaching behind him, pulling him backwards while he kicked. 

He swallowed down a wince the first time his knuckles grated down the side of the pool. 

The following lap his hand struck the deck. 

Hux sighed before walking towards him. Kylo dunked his hand into the pool, hoping the heat would ease away the sting. He nearly recoiled when Hux took his hand, holding it up out of the water. First inspecting his knuckles, gently probing at his fingers, then the back of his hand. “You should ice this when you get home.”

Kylo couldn’t look away from Hux’s slim fingers, one nearly sliding between two of his own. “It’ll be fine.” 

“If you call a bruise fine.” Hux lowered his hand back into the water, expression tight. “Let’s work on your stroke without you hitting the wall.”

Hux kept himself closer for the rest of the class, guiding him to a stop before he reached the side, preventing more hand injuries. It was always a touch on his arm, above the wrist, avoiding the shoulder, making a point of avoiding his back. Yet each time Kylo found the graze of wrinkled fingertips sending a shiver along his skin.

Turning the shower to cold Kylo scrubbed down, eyes shut tight. He waited for one of the other showerheads to turn on. Although he heard the door open a minute later he heard the wet sound of footsteps pass through the shower area to the changing section.

His bag was on the same bench that Hux used. Had he any forethought he would’ve placed his things on a different bench but now he kept his distance. Hux had yet to pull on his shirt, watching him hover at the entrance from the showers. He had been wringing the fabric in his hands but stopped. “One date.”

Kylo was fairly sure he didn’t have any water in his ears. “What?”

“One date.” Dropping his shirt to the bench, fingers digging into his palm, Hux tensed. Inhaled sharply but it did little to calm him. “I know what I want but what it comes down to is what you want. I would like to go on a date with you. If you really feel like this is something you don’t want to try, I’ll walk away just like you said. Give up any notions after next week. But this means you can’t keep giving me mixed signals. Be honest with me and I’ll be honest with you.”

Kylo should’ve refused but found himself nodding, making his way towards him. It was a straightforward solution, one that he hoped would find himself resolute, saying no to awkward pining, lewd thoughts and forgetting about Hux as a whole, but there was a significant issue still standing in the way. “Trying to find the time for a date is going to be impossible. I’m busy all of this week and with the wedding ten days away… I might have to wait until after the wedding.”

“What if we go out after our lesson tomorrow?” Hux asked.

He wished it was that easy. “I’m going to be out late Thursday night. Picking up people from the airport so I need to be well rested. And Friday is the stag-cubed party.”

“Would you be free Saturday?” 

“After trying to sleep in I’m going to be up at the cottage for deep cleaning and prepping the guest cottages. I won’t be back in the city until late Sunday night.” Ducking his head, he glanced up through his hair, heavy and wet on his face. “The only time I have next week is essentially when I have my classes. And as you’ve said, my mom paid for those classes. I can’t imagine she’d want me out on a date when I should be wrapping up my swimming classes.”

“I agree with you, that is the wrong way to go.” Half-smiling Hux glanced up to him. With a sigh that had his shoulders drooping he picked up his shirt, putting it on. “You should’ve kissed me on Friday. We could’ve gone on a date on the weekend, before everything got out of control.”

“I could barely work up the nerve to touch you,” Kylo pointed out, starting to reach for his clothes.

“It would’ve been a start.”

That night he barely got any sleep. The commute to work had been safe but Phasma was treated to another day of shadowed eyes and pulled hair. This time she had come to his office with the extra-strong tea, bringing the cup that he had left from yesterday afternoon in the break room.

Later, as comfortable as he would be in the water, he found himself doing the backstroke more readily than he had previously. Perhaps it was the lack of nerves, finally talking about what had been on his mind. Perhaps he wanted to prove to Hux that he was capable. It didn’t stop Hux from getting closer, strictly professionally. Reminding him to breathe to keep his body afloat, kicking and moving his arms in synch.

His thoughts were less focussed when they were in the showers. Not needing to focus on the mechanics of swimming his mind wandered to the elusive when of the date. Neither broached the subject, but knowing that they would see each other outside of the swimming center and parking lot left him bolder. The hot water had turned Hux’s skin rosy and it was impossible to ignore the suds lining his long limbs. 

Hux smirked his way but didn’t stop there, letting his own gaze wander.

Kylo waited to leave the shower when Hux did, taking his cues to pace himself alongside Hux even when it came to dressing.

Hux, with his bag slung over his shoulder, regarded him, waiting for him to get his shoes on. Walking out of the change room together, Hux held him up before they stepped outside. “After next week, my schedule is completely open.”

Hux’s hand lingered on his forearm but Kylo slid his arm free, only to latch onto his fingers. “I’m counting down to the wedding, don’t get me wrong. Poe and Finn have been waiting a long time, but I’m looking forward to our date.”

Going their separate ways, Rey driving him home, Kylo was in bed within ten minutes. 

His mind wasn’t so quick to let him sleep.

It wasn’t until he flipped sides again that he jolted up with a grin. 

Getting his phone from his dresser he quickly texted Hux.

_Are you free tomorrow morning?_

_I’m done with waiting for a free night. We could grab breakfast or coffee before we go to work._

His thumbs remained over the touchscreen keyboard, hoping for an answer.

It came less than a minute later.

_Where do you have in mind?_

*

Normally his weekday breakfast routine consisted of something he could cook up quickly. On the days that he was particularly in a rush it was a couple pieces of toast. After agreeing to meet with Hux at seven he was rushing more so than usual. He didn’t need to worry about food but there was the matter of deciding what to wear. Had it been work it would’ve been easy enough.

This was work and Hux, which required more effort.

Hux had suggested the restaurant and Kylo arrived after him. Hux had chosen a booth for two away from the windows but along the wall. Kylo rushed over, not for the need of food but to get a closer look of Hux. “You look good.” His hair was styled back away from his face, gel and hold not too severe, and the pale blue button-down dress shirt he wore fit him perfectly.

“It feels like we’re going in reverse,” Hux commented once Kylo was seated, looking across to him, taking in his appearance with clear interest. Choosing the purple shirt was definitely a win. “I get to see you naked twice a week, and only now we’ve managed to go on a date.”

“I like being unconventional,” Kylo reassured him. He tried to temper down his grin but couldn’t get the smile entirely off his face. 

“And you’re also going to be tired tonight,” Hux added, shaking his head with an amused huff.

“I’m impatient, I didn’t want to wait two weeks until seeing you outside of the pool.” There were no utensils or cups on the table yet, which made it easy to stretch across the table, curl his fingers around Hux’s. Feeling them warm and soft against his own, and not pruned over from water, had him unable to not stroke them.

Hux shifted his hands so the stretch was less awkward between them. “How many cars will be at the airport?” 

“It was going to be three, but I think there are four now.” He had been given the revised number Tuesday night, texted to him while he had gotten ready for bed. “Mostly on account of possibly too much luggage. We’re going to be prepared for more to be on the safe side.”

A server came up to their table, taking their drink orders. The menus, tucked behind the napkin dispenser, had yet to be opened. They requested teas but needed time to actually look at the food selection. 

Kylo looked up from the restaurant’s selection of egg dishes when a stainless-steel teapot was brought out to them along with two cups. “I guess because we both asked for tea we get to share the pot?”

“If I was at home drinking tea it would be Irish Breakfast but since we didn’t specify we have…” Inspecting the labels for the tea curled around the pot’s handle, Hux chuckled. “Orange pekoe. And it’s a big enough pot for two, so why not?”

“I may actually have to blame you for drinking tea,” Kylo commented, snagging a milkette from the caddy on their table. “After you offered me chamomile that one time, I’ve been drinking tea at work. And another chamomile when I went out to dinner with my mum.”

“I didn’t know that I have that kind of influence on people,” Hux remarked, cocking his head.

Kylo knew that he expected him to elaborate. “Well, I might’ve had a sleepless night due to my new swimming instructor, and the next day at work I needed more caffeine. I couldn’t amp up the coffee so I put two teabags into my mug. And it worked.”

He didn’t miss the twitch of Hux’s eyebrows or the corner of his mouth twisting up. “What did your swimming instructor do to you?” 

“Nothing sordid I can assure you, but it was all the doing of my mind. He may have thought he was helping me when he was correcting my position to get comfortable with floating and breathing, a hand to my back or arm but… my mind reinterpreted it to suit my inclination.” Fingers fidgeting, he set the milkette down when he noticed he had already peeled the film back. Kylo glanced up, sucking in a nervous breath. “Which saw it as something less than professional and more personal.”

Hux tucked his chin down a bit, showing the hint of pink touching on his cheekbones. “Maybe he did wonder, if the connection he felt went both ways.”

“It seems to.” Kylo almost sighed, knowing that what he wanted Tuesday night didn’t seem to hold true. The ease of conversation had returned, the attraction that he felt for Hux was mutual. They could sit across from each other, hold hands, like they were together. 

He didn’t want to forget any of this. 

If there was any disappointment he overcame it quickly. The breakfast was enjoyable in the quiet restaurant, only a few other people entering in the hour he and Hux sat together. Over a breakfast of eggs benedict and waffles they talked about where they worked, what they did when they weren’t working or swimming. He would’ve loved to stay longer, just learning more about each other, but he did have to get to work by 8:30. 

Outside Kylo walked to his car, glancing along the street to see where Hux had parked. “Where is your car?”

“I work nearby. I just parked in the garage and walked here. It took me… about fifteen minutes,” Hux explained, slipping his wallet into his pocket. “I always drive past this restaurant and last night I finally had a good reason to come inside.”

“I guess you don’t need me to drive you to work then,” Kylo commented, wistful for the missed opportunity of a few more minutes together.

Hux shook his head, clearing his throat but unable to cover his almost chuckle. “You’ll need another date to get me into your car.”

“Oh, I will,” Kylo assured him, confident and sly. Still he didn’t unlock his car, keeping his body fully towards Hux. Holding his hand in the restaurant, when they had been the only diners, had been one thing, but now that it was busier, and with pedestrians and motorists lining the streets, he hesitated to move closer. It was his fingers that reached shyly towards Hux, slipping inside his open jacket to brush against his shirt. “But… I would like to kiss you before the second date.”

The loose fabric under his fingers met the dip of Hux’s waist when Hux eased a half-step towards him. Kylo ducked his head when he felt lips meet his cheek, his face flushing quickly. 

It had to have been a planned manoeuvre, Hux following it up with brushing his lips towards his mouth.

“Don’t fall asleep at the wheel tonight,” Hux reminded, expression fond as he walked backwards, before slowly turning to make his way along the sidewalk.

“Kylo? Kylo!”

“We told you not to fall asleep tonight.”

Kylo shook his head, more in the need to shake free the memory of lips, sweet with leftover syrup, against his own. “I’m awake, there’s no need to harass me,” he assured Poe and Finn.

“It took you a good minute to finally answer them,” Rey interjected. 

Kylo rolled his eyes, safe from his cousin and friends’ scrutiny. They were driving the roads marked for arrivals through the airport. If it had been two cars they would’ve waited at the curb but instead they were looking for the entrance to the parking lot. “I am paying attention to the road, thank you,” he reminded them over conference call, his phone right side up on the console. He wasn’t touching it, but that didn’t matter when they were all on speakerphone. 

“So are we, but we can talk and drive at the same time,” Poe reminded.

“At least we know he’s not asleep.” Rey again.

“I repeat, I’m not. I am very well rested, despite being awake early.”

There was a collective pause, to which Rey inquired. “Why was that?”

Kylo hesitated. He had yet to admit to anyone he was attracted to his swimming teacher. He was only starting to acknowledge to himself that two dates were only the beginning. “I had breakfast with a friend this morning.” Yes, that was safe. “We had plans to meet up but with the wedding fast approaching my nights aren’t free. This was the easiest option.”

“Did you go to the place we went to for brunch?” Rey asked, but before he could answer Poe was quick with his own comment.

“Damn right you’re busy!”

“I see the parking lot sign ahead,” Finn cut in.

“Yes, I see it!” In the lead, Poe was the first to enter the lot, each of them following.

For the time of night they managed to find four spots available in the same area. Kylo parked across from them, strolling over to them before they made their way across the crosswalk to the arrivals’ doors leading out to the road. “We went to a different place, closer to where he works,” Kylo explained.

Finn glanced to Poe before both turned their attention to Kylo. “That’s convenient,” Finn commented at last. “Good food?”

“Very good.” His eggs had been delicious but next time he might want to try the waffles, remembering the slightly sticky pressure on his cheek and lips. 

“New friend? Co-worker?” Poe asked, looking over to him curiously once they were on the sidewalk.

“Friend.” Kylo didn’t dare glance in Rey’s direction, even though he knew she was regarding him, feeling her gaze on him. “Name’s Armitage.”

He did spare a brief glance towards her, and from what he spied from the corner of his eye, she didn’t look like she knew Hux’s name, or at least first name, from him or his mom.

“You’ll have to tell me where it is,” Poe commented. 

At last Rey interjected. “Where did you meet?” They all turned to her now. “We’ve all been busy the past month – I’m curious, that’s all.”

He should’ve known she would’ve been trying to piece the sparsely detailed story together. “I think it’s been three weeks ago. We kind of just… bumped together.” At the pool. “We hit it off.”

They all jumped to the same conclusion, a correct one. Turning their attentions towards him, expressions all variations of curious or smug, Poe started first, grinning. “Oh really?”

“It took me a while to realise that I was attracted him.” Kylo tried not to smile but it was hard when they were all looking happy for him. 

“He could come to our rehearsal dinner next week,” Finn offered, to which Poe nodded eagerly.

“I’ll see if he’s available.” Kylo hoped that Hux would have the Friday free. Once the words left his mouth, his chest caught, torn between hope and nervousness. “Would it be too late to see if he can come to the wedding?”

Finn and Poe’s faces fell at the same time. “It – it is too late,” Finn said.

Kylo smiled, to reassure them more than ease his disappointment. “I understand, you needed all the seats for the dinner and ceremony confirmed a month ago.”

“Yeah, sorry buddy,” Poe said, stepping closer to rub his arm. “So let’s hope that he can make it to the rehearsal. I want to see who the lucky guy is.”

“I do too,” Rey agreed. She looked a little put out but she looked too much like she was still solving the puzzle of where and when Kylo met this mystery man. 

She didn’t have long to think about it more, not when Poe shouted at recognising voices when the doors behind them opened. He greeted them, voice raising in volume and excitement with each name.

Kylo recognised a few of them, moving to shake hands while Poe went through the introductions.

Mentally he was reminding himself to text Hux later to see if he would be free next Friday.


	7. Week 6

It took a long time to set down his phone. He wanted to get in touch with Hux as soon as possible, not wanting to lose the chance for a date to the rehearsal dinner. Yet knowing that the stag party would be a late night he knew that going to sleep soon would be for the best.

It took longer to pick up his phone and answer any messages. Next morning he picked it off his dresser where it was charging to put it directly in his workbag, only glancing at the time and not the notifications. When he did have his lunch break he sent a text off to Hux before emailing his mom back. 

Hux had to be busy in that he only replied he’d answer in the evening.

By that point he was decorating the party room at Poe and Finn’s favourite bar with Rose and Rey. The music playing over the speaker system, and their busyness in general, gave him no chance to hear the text message ping through or check his phone for a response.

Saturday morning, groggy but not hungover, he had enough time to glance at his text messages before driving up to the cottage. Hux’s message was the only one that greeted him that morning, apologising that he couldn’t go to the dinner.

Sweaty and a little bit dusty from cleaning his parent’s cottage, he was walking down the dirt road that circled the lake. The cottage he was assigned to clean was a few down from his parents. Fortunately the area had pretty good reception, Hux’s voice sounding mostly clear when he picked up the call.

“Hello?”

“This is Kylo Ren’s Cleaning Services, offering you a one time special.”

“I would have to read your reviews before deciding to hire you on.”

“Fair enough.” His hair pulled back into a stubby ponytail, the sun shone down on his already heated face. He blew back a few strands that threatened to stick to his forehead. “Sorry to hear you can’t make it to the rehearsal dinner. I would’ve liked you to meet my friends.”

“It’ll have to wait for another time. My boss was asked if she could fill in as a speaker at a conference next Friday. She’s supposed to meet a client late next Friday so now that responsibility falls on me.” Kylo hoped that Hux sounded disappointed for missing his friends and not for being saddled down with extra work on top of his own job. “And besides, you probably don’t want to be making introductions when everyone is excited for the next day. I’d be a… well, not a third wheel. Maybe a seventh or ninth wheel. Which really is a pointless comparison.”

“They’re a friendly bunch, their motto is always ‘the more the merrier,’” Kylo explained. From his own experiences their parties overwhelmed him for that very reason but the rehearsal dinner would only be six people, seven if Hux had been able to come. Not only was it a manageable number but knowing everyone who would be there made it even easier. “But to meet Finn and Poe, they’re going on a ten-day honeymoon. You can meet Rey and Rose first.”

“You mean you want me to meet Rey somewhere than other in the parking lot?” Hux asked dryly.

“It would be crazy, I know.” Kylo pictured Hux’s smirk and had to laugh under his breath. “I’m on to the next cottage I have to clean, but I just wanted to phone you quickly. See you on Tuesday.”

“Have you asked Rey if she wants me to drive you to and from the pool?” 

Between the stag party and cleaning Kylo had forgotten all about that. “I’ll ask her this afternoon. I can’t imagine she would refuse that offer.”

“Don’t work too hard.”

“Too late for that.” He had a laundry basket half-perched on his left hip, holding onto the basket with the handle not pressed up against him. The linens were protected from the cleaning supplies by the smaller basket holding the various bottles and rags. “Later.”

As tiring as the morning had been, the cleaning effort did wake him up. Finished with the cottage he ambled back to his parent’s place. Glancing toward the front door, there was a narrow view between the outer most wall and the section of trees that bordered their property from the next lot. It provided a glimpse of the shed and dock and the lake beyond. 

Part of him wanted to enjoy the cold lake, tempering the sweat that covered his skin.

Even though next weekend was Finn and Poe’s special day, he wanted to save his first race into the lake with them.

The lighter basket under arm, his phone sliding within it with each step he took, he opened the door to the cottage. Coming out, and nearly bumping into him, was his dad, armed with his own full basket and cleaning bottles. “Your turn?” Kylo asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

“I just got back from my latest flight, you think she’d let me rest,” Han muttered, not truly a grumble for the vaguely amused twist of his mouth.

“Not with the wedding happening next Saturday,” Kylo said, shaking his head faintly.

“How about you help me with the cottage? It won’t take long that way.” 

Kylo nearly sighed, debating his wants. He needed a shower, his last being Friday morning. There had been no point showering before working up a sweat. There was also the simple fact that he had missed his dad for most of the summer. Kylo and his mom had laughed when he mused out loud that he could make a business out of flying cottagers up to their cottages. An air taxi service. It turned out that many people agreed with Han; less time on the road and more time at the cottage was worth the comparable fee. Between his air taxi business and his regular flights his dad had kept very busy that summer.

“You’re lucky I’m feeling generous.” With a smile and quick lift of his finger requesting a brief wait, he squeezed past, depositing the basket in the small laundry room and rushing back out. “How many more cottage flights do you have for the season?”

“They’ll last until the end of September, I expect,” his dad said, shifting the basket that he carried in front of him. Kylo pulled out the basket that held the cleaning supplies, carrying it as they waked towards the road. “Some people give me several weeks notice to ask for a flight up. Some only give me a day. So I don’t know my full schedule yet.”

“Who would’ve thought you had a successful business venture,” Kylo commented, grinning when his dad shot him a look, half incredulous, half expecting the doubt.

If his dad had a free hand he knew he would’ve been tapping his temple, grazing the silvery hair. “When it comes to making money, my brain is always right.”

Face forward, expression neutral, Kylo shook his head. “That’s not what Lando says.”

“He’s not here, so he’s not saying anything.”

Kylo snorted a laugh, Han smirking back. 

Showering before dinner made him feel less like the floor of the gym he attended. Spending the evening chatting with his family, discussing the few things they still needed to clean or tend to over another round of drinks, and hearing about the latest round of travels in and out of state his dad took cottagers to, Kylo was happy to just relax, enjoying the family moment. He couldn’t guarantee what the mood would be the next day.

Luck allowed him to mow the back lawn the next morning before he was given the rest of the day off. Enjoying a coffee after the grass was done, watching his mom tend to the flowers she kept in the back, he enjoyed the small window of relaxation. It was still relatively early in the morning but he imagined the roads back into the city would be busy with everyone else coming back from another weekend spent at their cottages.

It took him a little longer to get home and after sitting in his car for close to two hours, the air conditioning doing little to cool off the interior, he was taking his time showering, working out the tightness in his back and getting rid of the last of the sweat. Without anything else planned for the afternoon he wandered over to the couch, picking up the book balanced on the arm, left from Monday night. 

Between reading, a short nap and making dinner he was ready to call it a night.

His skeleton draft of his speech had waited for him on the coffee table but remained untouched.

*

Kylo never intended to operate in secrecy. It just so happened that he remembered to ask Rey if she wanted the upcoming week off from her chauffeur duties when Han got up to refill their drinks. That it happened to coincide with Leia checking on the stove to see how dinner was going had to be intentional. 

Hux’s offer returned to him once he and Rey were alone. “I’ve been meaning to ask.” Rey looked at him, eyes narrowed, expecting more of the not entirely subtle questions Han had been asking her about her love life. “When Hux drove me home after that one lesson, he realised he’s not too far away from where I live. He wanted to ask if you wanted this week off, he can drive me to and from the pool.”

Her expression was amused but she regarded him slyly, a glance from the corner of her eye. After she finished off her drink she explained. “I actually need to borrow Aunt Leia’s car this week. I would gladly let him drive you around but I could easily drive you to the pool, if that works better.”

“Whatever works for you. It’s not like she would know that you’re not driving me there,” Kylo pointed out. “If you’re still reporting to her about my lessons, I’ll fill you in with what I did in a text.”

“That is true.” The sound in the kitchen veered from low voices to the opening and closing of the fridge, the clinking of bottles following. “If by any chance he can’t pick you up, I can still drive you over. Ask him what works best for him.”

Tuesday night Kylo was waiting at the curb in front of his place. Never had he been that punctual for Rey. 

As soon as he heard the click of the passenger door unlocking Kylo was darting into Hux’s car, dropping his bag between his feet. He wanted to take hold of Hux’s hand but restrained himself. “I was actually unsure if Rey would agree to not bring me to the pool,” Kylo admitted. Rey was his mom’s eyes and ears after all. “But I’m glad that she did.”

“You’re one of the few people I know of who wants to spend more time with me than necessary,” Hux remarked before shifting his car back into gear.

“That’s not true,” Kylo insisted, watching Hux’s profile, relieved that he didn’t have to pretend that he wasn’t attracted to him. 

“How I really am – the person who teaches swimming is not the same person that everyone at work sees,” Hux countered, tipping his head and gaze briefly to Kylo.

“So you aren’t patient and kind?” Kylo nearly chuckled, shifted in his seat. Leaving the bag on the floor of the car didn’t make it comfortable for his legs. 

“Patient, yes.” Hux paused only to smirk. “But calculating.”

“That doesn’t sound bad, sometimes you need to be calculating.” Kylo perked up a little, realising one particular omission. “Well, if that’s how you are at work, what are you like away from swimming lessons and work?”

“Well, I’m not overly sociable. I have a couple of friends who I try to meet up with regularly but our schedules always seem to be all over the place.” Waiting for the red light to turn, Hux kept one eye on the signal, glancing to Kylo. “I’m… a blend of cynical and realist. I don’t assume the worst of people, but my default perception of others is that I need them to show that they are good people to give them my time. I think I’ve spent too long doing court work to develop that view. I try to be nice in turn but… I guess I’m standoffish. And since I’m not usually the first to make conversation – it means that I’m comfortable being on my own, whether at home or just going out by myself.”

“That doesn’t sound horrible,” Kylo commented, turning his gaze to the road when they were moving again. “In some ways that sounds like me. I’m not cynical but… I’m slow to warm up to people.” He tilted his head towards the side window, trying not to look back to Hux again. “I’m lucky that you are patient.”

A small chuckle had Kylo nearly whipping back to see the smile on Hux’s face. “Is that you sweettalking me?”

The yes was on the tip of his tongue but first he needed to hear something else. “Is it working?”

“Yes.” The smile lingered on Hux’s face, a victory that Kylo had to mirror.

He almost didn’t want to arrive at the pool, even for the lapses in conversation and smiles fading to a relaxed quiet air. Once they were swimming it would be back to business, which to be honest Kylo wasn’t sure of what that would consist. He felt confident with his strokes so unless there was something he was forgetting it would just be making sure he stayed comfortable and ready for Saturday.

Kylo got into the water at the same time as Hux, walking through the shallow end while Hux did his laps, from shallow end to deep end and back. After two laps Kylo decided he could do the same thing, even if it was from one side of the shallow end to the other, and making sure not to swim into Hux when their paths converged.

“You’re looking good,” Hux commented, expression happy for him. “Swimming all on your own.”

“I have you to thank.” Kylo was quick to point out. 

“It helps when you have a good student.”

“It helps when I wanted to do good for you.” Kylo tried to bite back a grin and was sure his face looked silly for the mix of embarrassed and flirty. “I wanted to show off for my teacher.”

Hux nearly laughed, shaking his head, a hint of pink on his cheeks. “So you are feeling confident with your swimming?” Continued after Kylo’s nod. “Is there anything you feel like you need to work on?”

“I don’t think so,” Kylo said after a shake of his head. “Unless there’s something you see that I need to improve on.”

“Not so much improve on, it’s just something that you’ll be doing for the first time on Saturday.” Kylo wracked his mind, going over the strokes that he had learned, but there didn’t appear to be anything missing. Hux moved a little closer, to which Kylo happily allowed, their arms brushing. He didn’t think there was a purpose to it until Hux leaned further in. “You’ve always been swimming on your own. I’ve been here to teach you, keep an eye out, but your friends will be in the water too. As you once said, if you had gone in the pool when you went with your friends, you couldn’t account for everyone else. You need to be comfortable with other people swimming, maybe an arms length away from you.” 

As soon as Hux said it, Kylo remembered all those public pool visits that he did with Poe. He spent his time on the deck, watching everyone else splash and play in the pool. For the wedding it would be just the six of them, which wasn’t nearly as intimidating by the dozens of kids shouting and swimming about when he was younger. 

All the same, it took several seconds from the trepidation to leave his mind, his chest tight and heavy. “We’re not going to have a dozen staff and kids joining us in the pool now, are we?”

“I’ll be swimming with you. Just to warm you up to the idea,” Hux reassured him. Kylo took a deep breath, undeniably relieved. “To gauge how close is too close for your comfort and what to do to avoid bumping into me. As we’re in the shallow end, you can choose to swim faster or away from a straight line, or even walk away if that makes you more comfortable.”

“Choices are good,” Kylo agreed. 

His nerves were on high but it didn’t take long to settle down, the concept not nearly as daunting as he expected. It probably helped that it was just the two of them for the whole pool, even though they stayed in the shallow end. Hux kept his splashing to a minimum, only a bit of water catching him on the occasional stroke of his arm. Sometimes he pulled up close, giving a quick suggestion of how Kylo could move away if he wasn’t comfortable. Kylo soon got accustomed, not needing Hux to coach him the when and how.

Sometimes Kylo stopped, not even trying to move away. He stood, watching Hux swim around him, switching from one swim stroke to another. “You make it look so easy,” Kylo murmured, a little put of but impressed, when Hux surfaced after swimming underwater.

“I’ve had years of practise, that’s all there is to it.” Hux stopped, bending his legs to keep his chin level with the water. “And you’ve done a good job yourself, for accomplishing what you’ve done in just under six weeks. And I’m more than happy to teach you more after.”

He knew that Hux was right, but it was harder to feel that way. “Swimming beside you, I just know… that I have a long way to go.”

“Years Kylo, that’s all there is too it.” Straightening up, walking over to him, Hux stroked his arm. “You’ve done incredibly. And I’m not saying that because I’m your teacher.” Kylo snorted under his breath, the corners of his mouth twitching. “You chose to take these lessons, remember that. I gave you an out, if that was what you wanted. You didn’t let your fear stand in the way. That is important. No one is ever perfect when they start something new. With the time you’ve been given, you’ve done very well. Do not compare yourself to me, or anyone else. If they are worth your time, if they are your friends – they’ll be proud of you.”

Hux was still holding onto his arm when Kylo pushed forward, hugging him thankfully. He would’ve liked to have felt soft dry hair give under the brush of his nose, but the scent of chlorine stealing his breath away was no longer a deterrent. “Thank you.”

It took more effort than he expected to pull away, bare arms and chests brushing against each other. 

Hux drew his fingers down his arm one last time, lingering on his elbow before pulling back. “Let’s work a little more on that, both of us swimming, circling around each other.”

“That makes us sound like sharks,” Kylo commented, which only resulted in him remembering the times Poe would shout out the Jaws theme, in something close to the tone and cadence from all the pools they went to.

“Just something to practise with,” Hux added, easing back to start swimming. Yet Kylo was already swimming right at him, which resulted in Hux darting away with a laugh.

All too soon the class was over. He felt relaxed, unlike earlier when Hux suggested the task for the lesson. Perhaps it was taking over the stress he felt for the wedding, after realising that he did have the speech to finish writing tomorrow and Thursday. He certainly wouldn’t have time for it on Friday. Under the showerhead, shoulders loose even while washing his hair, he watched Hux claim the one next to him.

“You really are doing well,” Hux reassured him, letting the water wash over him. He wasn’t reaching for his soap or shampoo yet, studying him instead. “And I’m not saying that as your teacher. But… being your teacher has been good for other reasons. I do like spending time with you, and if it weren’t for the classes, I wonder if we would’ve met at all.”

Even though he wanted to believe otherwise, Kylo suspected he and Hux came to the same conclusion. Not only was there the question of where they would’ve met but neither were the overly sociable type; it seemed unlikely. “Probably not.”

Hux stepped closer, pushing a piece of hair clinging to his face with a mix of water and shampoo behind his ear. Kylo didn’t expect his kiss but softened into it, barely having the chance to reciprocate. 

“That’s not fair,” Kylo mumbled when Hux took the step backward to his shower, reaching for his shampoo. “Later?”

Except he only got the chance to steal a few more kisses from Hux in his car, before his phone started ringing. Kylo looked down, frowning when he saw Rey’s photo on his screen. “See you on Thursday,” Kylo said once he was out of the car, waiting to close the door.

“Good luck on your speech,” Hux called, prompting a groan from Kylo.

Alone on the sidewalk, watching Hux leave, Kylo raised the phone to his ear, greeting Rey even though she had heard their shared words.

In the safety of his apartment, after their call ended, he groaned.

Tossing his head back to the top of the couch, he craved to be with Hux, taking the kisses further.

Instead he was about to share the rest of his night with his speech. 

*

Since overhearing Hux, and actually hearing his voice for the first time, Rey texted Kylo several times Wednesday to make sure he had made progress with the speech. He had added a few more details to his skeleton draft before going to bed but had yet to start writing it down in proper format. Work was his priority after all, until he got home.

“How have you not finished your speech?” 

In the privacy of his home Kylo didn’t hesitate to turn Rey’s call to speakerphone. It helped that he was in the middle of making dinner. To one side of the stove was his phone, the other side was the notepad that his speech had been started on. 

“I couldn’t wrap my head around it until the past week really, and with no time to work on it this weekend, with the cleaning and spending time with my parents, I didn’t have time until now,” he argued, turning down the temperature on the element.

“What about Monday? You had Monday night free,” Rey insisted.

Nothing stood out in his memory to suggest that he was preoccupied, so he was left to shrug, an answer that Rey couldn’t hear. “I forgot. And I did work a little bit last night after my lesson. So between tonight and tomorrow I just have to finish it. It’s not going to be a long speech. Two minutes at the most. I don’t need to go on at length, I say what I mean with sincerity.”

“Just follow the outline I did for you.”

Kylo rolled his eyes, glared at his phone. “Don’t you mean the outline that Rose and you helped me with?”

“Just go with the outline you have.” He was pretty sure he heard her groan. “And make it at least two minutes!” 

The line clicked off from her end.

Pursing his lips he ended the call with his pinky, stirring his food with the spatula in his other hand. He shifted the notepad back to the side that his phone occupied, picking up the pen, looking over the ideas that he came up with Rose and Rey. It wasn’t that it looked bad, he had agreed with their points enthusiastically when they had their brunch.

Yet the longer he looked at it he felt he had agreed with their ideas of what had been his and Poe’s best times growing up. What did they know about their friendship? They’d known each other since he was three and Poe was six. They didn’t become friends until they were both in school but when they did they were nearly inseparable. 

Seated at the table with his food, fork in his left hand, he started writing down paragraphs between bites and chewing. 

“How good are you at speeches?” Kylo asked, stopping to watch Hux swim. They had been swimming alongside each other. It was remarkable that Hux was quick enough to switch his arms, his right arm always that half beat behind his left arm, ensuring they didn’t bump into one another.

Hux kept on swimming, finishing the length before returning, looking forward to him, face out of the water. “Writing or giving them?” 

“Both?”

“Pretty good, I think. I just don’t know if anyone enjoys listening to them.” Hux smirked a little but tried to cock a shoulder, not so easy in mid stroke. “But I like doing speeches, feel pretty good about them. I at least got good grades when I had to do speeches in school.”

“Ugh. I always sucked at speeches and presentations.” Knowing that he wouldn’t be graded, at least formally, he still worried whether anyone would enjoy listening to him at the wedding. “I’m not sure how good my speech will be on Saturday. For the wedding.”

“Do you want me to be honest?” Kylo nodded, trying to not look too worried. “This is Poe and Finn’s night. Even if your speech isn’t perfect, everyone is there to celebrate their wedding. A meaningful speech may be impressive but you are there wishing them the best, and that’s all they want, what everyone wants to hear. Flubbing up a line or two is unimportant in the whole grand scheme. Just make them feel like the most important people that night and you’ll be great.”

“That makes sense.” Kylo chuckled a little, moving forward slowly, walking towards Hux. “For someone who’s never been to a wedding, you have a very good concept of one.”

“I’m not a sappy romantic, or even a low-key romantic, but – weddings are all about love. Coming together. Most people can identify with that.” Hux eased forward until he and Kylo were face to face. “I’m sure you can too. Work with what you know and what you’ve seen Poe and Finn share.”

It was a delayed start of fresh ideas, Kylo waking up early Friday to grab his notepad, flipping several pages to find a clean sheet. In less than half an hour he had worked his way through three pages. He wasn’t sure if it would be two minutes long but he no longer cared about Rey’s request.

He had time to squeeze in two more pages between showering, dressing and grabbing toast for the run.

By the time he got to work he had fired off a two worded text to Hux. 

_Thank you._

*

Finn had made the reservation for the rehearsal dinner at a restaurant that they liked. They had forty minutes to get there, a more than manageable task. It would take two cars to get there, Kylo in charge of his and Rose driving her own. The drinking would be minimal to none tonight, everyone wanting to be fresh and perfect for the wedding.

With the wedding held in the backyard of his mom’s cottage it made sense to get to the park for six o’clock. They didn’t need to arrive at the same time as the wedding would take place, the lighting wasn’t essential for the rehearsal. The few people who had been walking through the park enjoying the evening were probably unsure what to do with them, Rose and Rey taking turns of walking in their low heels and then standing, Kylo trying not to laugh alongside Finn and Poe. The grass in the park was on the long side, unlike the cottage’s, mowed just last weekend. It wouldn’t be quite as treacherous or ticklish. Without Rey’s dad present they weren’t coached with how the service would proceed but Finn and Poe had already spoken to him over the phone at length on numerous occasions and were prepared for doing it the next day.

The plan had been to wait for Snap but after waiting half an hour without hearing from him they started without him. 

They piled into the cars with fifteen minutes until the reservation time. There was no need to speed, they would get there on time.

Except he and Rey arrived at the restaurant a minute after Rose. They were just coming from the public parking, finding Finn and Rose watching worriedly as Poe paced, trying to keep his voice low while on the phone.

Finn had his lips tight together, reading all the signs, the pacing and the low voice, not to mention Poe tangling his free fingers in his hair. “It’s Snap.”

Poe ended the call, stopping at the same time. Turning to face them there was a grimace. “Snap had been at a doctor’s appointment. He’d been feeling bad last weekend, figured it was a cold that would be gone in a few days. When it wasn’t gone by Wednesday he made an appointment with his parent’s doctor and… he won’t be at the wedding tomorrow. Not his decision, that was the doctor’s orders.”

“What does he have?” Rose asked. 

“Strep throat.” Shoving his phone into his pockets both hands followed. Exhaling roughly he lifted his chin, seeing the disappointment in their eyes too. “He’s only starting the medication this afternoon and has been told no travelling. Even if he takes a flight in tomorrow he needs more than twenty four hours since the first dose and that’s not possible.”

“Why didn’t he go to the doctor’s sooner?” Rey asked. Poe could only shake his head helplessly, distraught and also hurt. “Resting off a cold never works for anyone. Especially before a wedding.”

Rey grumbled for a little bit longer, but it was Finn who approached Poe, hugging him. After a kiss to the cheek Poe pulled his hands loose, hugging him back. “Are you going to be alright with only Kylo standing on your side?”

The frown on Poe’s face didn’t match the nod that Finn felt. “It’ll have to do.”

Watching the exchange, Kylo interjected before the thought fully formed in his mind. “No.”

“But Poe just said yes,” Finn pointed out, turning them both so they could watch Kylo, one arm each behind the other’s back.

“Poe, I know Snap was supposed to be your groomsman, and I know he’s been a friend of yours for a long time. But-” Trying to piece together the idea in his mind as quickly as possible he glanced to Rey, hoping she would catch on. “If you wanted someone at the last minute, someone who you’ve known since you were little, would you be interested?”

“Who would be available in less than – with only 20-hours notice? Who would have a suit at the ready even now?” Poe cocked his head, nearly tipped against Finn’s, both regarding him, doubtful but curious.

“A long-time family friend of your parents. Someone who has watched you grow up.” Kylo gave him a pointed look at the vague label of gender. “Supported you and your dad when your mom passed away.”

Rey bit her lip, eyeing Kylo before adding a clue, confirmed by Kylo’s nod as being correct for the person he was suggesting. “Someone who encouraged and challenged you to do your best, supporting you in all your ventures. And… they are certainly ready to step into Snap’s shoes. The wedding, your happiness, has been at the front of their mind since you two got together.”

Poe may have caught onto the clues just as fast as Finn but Finn was the one who turned to face Poe, squeezing his waist. “It’s your decision, and I think it would only be natural. If you want to ask.”

Poe laughed under his breath, relieved and nervous. “How – do you think so?”

Pulling out his phone with his free hand Poe dialled up their friend, everyone waiting. Everyone knowing the answer wouldn’t be no.


End file.
